Thrice Damned Angel
by Infinity Plus One
Summary: Shaken by a romantic betrayal, our once compassionate angel falls into depravity...
1. Prelude

DISCLAIMER: This fic is rated M for gratuitous violence, sexual themes, cannibalism, suicide, disturbing imagery, and all-out corruption of beloved video game characters. So, to all you young'uns out there, please go read something else, kthxbai. The author takes no responsibility for any psychological scarring which may result.

Thrice-Damned Angel

Prelude

Mia sighed deeply as she shifted her body, trying to make her last moments on Weyard as comfortable as circumstances would permit. Her exhalation filled the hood covering her head with warm, moist air… she wished she could wipe the sweat from her brow, but she'd learned well enough that her meager strength was useless against the bonds that held her hands together across her back. It wouldn't be nearly so bad, she thought, had they not tied her to the platform. As it was, she felt her lungs strain against the tightened ropes with every breath she took.

The voice of the elder reached her ears through the black hood, but she had long since stopped listening. It didn't particularly matter, did it? Mia knew quite well the purpose of his long monologue… and regardless of how it went, the axe would find its mark. She almost wished he'd hurry up.

Now that was interesting, she thought. Mixed amid the elder's speech and the jeers of the crowd, Mia could distinctly hear some sobbing. Isaac? Most likely, she thought with a faint smile. Of course. He, amongst all the people of Vale, would cry for her… and that meant that she had not acted in vain.

Mia sighed once more… she could no longer hear the speech, just the heckling of the crowd and Isaac's tears. The end was coming, she knew, but she'd long since been past the point of caring. Gentle vibrations reached her body through the platform as an imposing figure stepped closer. It would all be over soon…

At this point, she could barely bring herself to reflect on what she had done. She recalled the acolyte who had visited her while she awaited her fate… how he had begged her to confess her sins before crossing over. Sins… the term was too harsh, she thought. She smiled ever so slightly… as the man raised his axe, Mia would think back on the past month. She would confess her 'sins' to none but herself… and remember with delicious glee the toys, the blood, the meat… and Isaac.

Screams rang out from the crowd, and the whoosh of the executioner's axe reached her ears. Her own devilish laughter upon recalling her crimes would be the last thing she would ever hear…

To be continued…


	2. Chapter One

She hated living in the tents. Smelly, cramped, and leaky. It had been worse before, of course, but once she'd started sleeping on her back, she'd finally gotten some privacy. None of the other girls could get any sleep with her snores grating on their ears, and had moved elsewhere, leaving her in peace. 

Mia sighed as she leaned back against the wall, and took a long puff on her Aggi weed pipe. The hardy plant, native to the foothills of Mt. Aleph, produced a mild calming effect when smoked… and, she admitted as she absentmindedly watched the curling smoke, she needed the peace of mind it provided. She wasn't dependent on the drug, of course, Mia told herself… if one could even call it a drug. Judging by its effects, it wasn't half as bad as the booze Garet drowned himself in every night. Such a pig… although he had introduced her to Aggi, which she was thankful for. She couldn't bear to contemplate what state she'd be in without it.

Through the still twilight air, she could barely catch the pleasant scent of burning wood. Good, she thought… it meant that the hunters had finally caught something. Her growling stomach didn't need to remind her that she hadn't eaten since morning… as soon as she smelled the fire, she pushed off against the wall and began walking.

Mia cursed to herself as a piece of her robe tore itself off on an exposed nail, and scowled as she looked at the structure behind her. The shoddily-constructed inn, along with a few small houses, represented the fruits of two weeks' hard labor… and also served as an example of how poorly-thought-out the whole project was. Until the shipment of straw came in the next wagon from Vault, the inn would have no roof, and would be useless as sleeping quarters. The near-constant rain would damage the inside of the inn and make the building unusable. Mia sighed… she'd known from the start that rebuilding Vale would be more trouble than it'd be worth. The villagers who'd simply moved to Vault had been the smart ones…

Mia strode down the hill upon which the inn stood into the clearing below, where the camp sat. The delicious scent of meat wafted to her nostrils… she hadn't had a good meal in at least a week. The campfire in the middle of the semicircle of tents was barely big enough to roast a single deer, let alone enough meat to feed the entire construction team. Mt. Aleph's collapse had taken the village's crops and livestock with it, along with its stores of wealth… which left the survivors in the unenviable position of having to hunt for their meat and use what little gold they had left to buy food from Vault. Construction supplies were another thing entirely…

Damn, there was already a line. By the time she reached the bottom of the hill, the tents had emptied into a sea of humanity, standing around the dead deer like it was the last food on Weyard. She knew there wouldn't be a scrap of meat left on the bones by the time her turn came. Dejected, she turned and walked towards her tent, ignoring the cheerful conversations around her. She had a few loaves of bread and a bit of smoked fish left… it would be enough for tonight.

As the tent flap closed behind her, she sat down on the hard ground and rummaged around behind her belongings for the food she'd stockpiled. Robes, a mace or two, some books… she painfully reminded herself that she hadn't read in over two weeks. Hadn't had the energy to. She didn't have the energy for much lately, owing to hunger and fatigue from helping with the construction efforts. It amazed her just how incompetent some of the villagers were… and as Vale's new resident healer, she'd had to repair everything from broken bones to a severed hand. How one could cut off one's own hand while chopping down a tree was still a mystery to her. Her exhaustion and her private tent had given her a reputation amongst the other Adepts as somewhat of a recluse, but truth be told, she was simply too tired to talk. Maybe if Isaac were in the mood for a chat… but he'd most likely bring along that whore of his…

Her glance fell onto the leather-bound cover of _Aram & Katia_, a classic romance novel from centuries ago, which she'd been in the process of translating from Old Imilian into less archaic script. That project had been on hold since at least the happenings in Jupiter Lighthouse… not for any lack of time, seeing as she had nothing much to do as their ship traveled the Great Western Sea, but for complete disgust with the subject matter. _It's never like the stories, is it?_ she wondered to herself. _Fuck Katia and her happy little ending. Things never turn out that well in real life._

She pulled a loaf of bread out from behind a stack of books and began cutting it with her knife when the tent flap suddenly opened, snapping her out of her thoughts. Ivan hadn't bothered to knock… but somehow, that didn't matter to her. Just seeing another human being actually take an interest in her… "Ivan! Let me guess, you couldn't get any dinner either?" she asked as he entered. "I've got some bread here if you'd like…"

Ivan shook his head. "It's okay. I'm not really all that hungry. Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Not at all," said Mia. "What's wrong, Ivan? You look kind of tense."

He sighed deeply as he sat on the hard ground. "Mia… I'm worried about you. We're all tired from rebuilding Vale, but it seems to have hit you the hardest. Everyone's noticed that you're not talking to them anymore. Are you not feeling well, or…?"

Mia smiled. "Nah… I'm fine. Just thinking a few things over. Once the inn's complete, I'm sure we'll have room for more workers… hopefully some of the healers who moved to Vault will return, and I won't be so tired, you know?"

"Yeah," said Ivan. "Heh, you must be exhausted after today. The guy with the axe in his leg…"

"How do you miss the tree that badly?" asked Mia, giggling. "I mean, it was horrible and all that he got an axe stuck in him, but…"

"Bad depth perception, I'd imagine," suggested Ivan. "Maybe his glasses fell off. I can see why you're so tired, though." He paused for a moment. "Um, do you mind if I ask what kind of things you're thinking about?"

The smile was gone from Mia's face. "It's… private."

"Isaac?" asked Ivan, and then immediately regretted it. He'd probed too far…

"Leave," snapped Mia. "Why'd you come here, to make me feel even worse about things? I told you never to mention his name around me!"

Ivan cringed in the corner. "S-sorry," he muttered. "Here, I'll…"

"Get out of my tent," demanded Mia with a scowl.

Sighing heavily, Ivan opened the flap and climbed out of the tent, trying not to look Mia in the eyes. "Fragile, isn't she?" asked a familiar voice as he emerged into the cool night air.

"That's one way of putting it," he said. "Sheba, you weren't supposed to be watching us…"

"Well, it's not like I had anything better to do," she laughed. "Besides, I was kinda worried she'd hit you again."

Ivan rubbed his right eye. The swelling had gone down somewhat, but it was still noticeably inflamed. "Yeah… I made sure to get out quickly this time. It's funny… she was never like this before."

"Felix says it's the Aggi that does it," said Sheba. "It calms you down for a while, but then there's a kind of… mood swing, you know? He's hella mad at Garet for introducing her to it…"

"No… it started before we got back to Vale. Before Mars Lighthouse, even," said Ivan, shaking his head. "She… just can't stand having her heart broken, I guess."

"Yeah… Jenna's been trying to stay away from her," sighed Sheba. "Won't do us much good to have another catfight. Isaac told me to tell you to just leave her alone too, which is why I followed you…"

"Alright," replied Ivan. "She said she just needed some time to think. Maybe if we leave her alone long enough, she'll come out of this rut, y'know?"

"We can hope," she sighed, and there was a brief, awkward silence. "C'mon, Ivan. We can't waste time around here… we'll miss the last of the soup. I hear they've got chicken tonight."

…

_So idyllic…_ she thought, gazing into the crackling campfire. Her elemental alignment didn't prevent her from appreciating the beauty of fire… but fire brought up thoughts of _her_, and that was the last thing she needed now. No, she'd lean back and gaze up at the starry sky, listening to the crickets chirp in the distance… she'd keep her mind off the subject of fire.

"So the Lemurian says, that's not a Cruel Dragon, that's my wife!" finished Garet, and a few chortles broke out around the fire. Mia sighed… he'd told this joke a thousand times already, and it wasn't particularly funny the first time. If it weren't for alcohol, the others would have forcibly shut Garet up some time ago.

"Heh. That's enough for now, Garet," said Isaac. "Seriously." Garet opened his mouth to speak, but Isaac silenced him with a glance. "Ahem. Anyway… before we all go get some rest, I'd like to say something." He looked at Jenna, sitting next to him, who smiled back at him, and there was a brief pause… "Jenna and I have a song we'd like to share with all of you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny wooden trinket… when he cast a minor Psynergy on it, the object suddenly expanded into a guitar…

Mia closed her eyes and listened to Isaac's music. His guitar playing was sublime… she'd enjoyed it ever since he'd first played his music for her in Imil. She'd been on the verge of despair after the beacon was lit… and the music had soothed her, somehow. Mia had always looked forward to hearing it…

Wait. There was something wrong. The horrible, screeching voice of that accursed harpy had intruded upon the music. Her music, not Jenna's. Isaac had first played that tune for her, not for that wench…

_On summer last, into the sun  
Did I travel with the golden one.  
Through ancient halls we roamed  
In search of the sacred stone_

_A victim of the clan of Mars,  
Stolen away, like the stars,  
Away from you, my guiding light.  
Knowing that you'll come for me  
Is the hope that breaks the night._

None of the others noticed Mia staring off into space as though in a daze… she herself barely heard the lyrics.

_Traveling the world, following the hero's path,  
Questing for a goal outside his grasp.  
Always just a step behind,  
I pray each night that he'll find  
me, my golden boy._

Garet snickered… he'd never thought Isaac would put up with Jenna being so sentimental. Isaac had either recently gotten laid, or he was really whipped…

_And now I've got my golden boy,  
Always by my side.  
We're in total bliss together,  
My hero here with me forever,  
He and I._

"Beautiful," whispered Ivan. Even Felix smiled a bit as the others echoed Ivan's sentiment…

Mia blocked it out. Hearing the song corrupted by that… that succubus… was too much for her to bear. Gone was the idyllic moment, sitting around the campfire with friends. Instead, it was the nightmare in Contigo all over again. So consumed by disgust was she that she almost missed what Isaac said next.

Isaac and Jenna looked at each other, blushed, and then smiled contentedly. "Jenna wrote the lyrics, and I wrote the music," explained Isaac. "The reason we're playing this tonight is… well…" He hesitated, but couldn't hold back a smile… "Jenna and I have put a lot of thought into this. I proposed to her tonight, and…"

Mia's body froze up before her conscious mind could react… and once she realized the enormity of what had just been said…

She didn't hear the rest of Isaac's speech, nor Jenna's, nor the congratulations that followed. She didn't see the ring on Jenna's finger. She closed her eyes so not as to see the loathsome kiss. A single thought filled her mind in its entirety…

_The bitch must die._

To be continued…


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"It's no good," said Isaac, shaking his head. "There's no way across the chasm."

Felix gazed at Mt. Aleph… but the sunlight reflecting off its smooth gilded surface made it impossible to look for long. "Are you sure, Isaac? That's a hell of a lot of gold to just give up… and we all know Vale needs it…"

"We've been around the entire mountain," Isaac replied, gesturing to the abyss surrounding Mt. Aleph… "There's no telling how deep the crevasse goes, and there are no natural land bridges."

"Do you think it might fill with water if we wait long enough…?" wondered Garet.

Felix looked up to the clear morning sky. "Not a cloud in sight," he said, shaking his head. "You know how the summers get around here. Besides… I'd bet that whatever rain does fall will vanish pretty quickly. There's no telling how far underground the fissures go…"

"And Piers's ship?" asked Isaac. "Did you find a possible landing site?"

Felix sighed. "Nothing at the altitudes we can reach."

"Well… we didn't exactly look too hard," interjected Garet, trying to salvage a glimmer of hope. "You know, 'cause staring at the mountain too long hurts the eyes. We should check again tonight…"

"Forget it," Felix told him. "Even if we found a large enough spot to land the ship, the weight of the gold would make it impossible to take off again…"

The group stood around in silence, pondering. "So… if we can't mine the gold from Mt. Aleph… how're we going to pay for the construction supplies?" asked Garet finally.

Isaac sighed. "Jenna and I have already donated every last coin of our share to the construction fund… all we asked was that we receive a small house after the wedding. It's not going to be enough, even if the rest of you chip in your money. But we can't just give up on Vale…"

"Nobody said we would," sighed Felix. "So… we tell the elder there's no easy way across. We have to be creative with our Psynergy." He stared intently at the crevasse… "I'm almost certain I could make a vine reach the other side, if I just had something for it to cling to. If we could get just a single wooden plank across the gap… then surround it with a bridge of vines…"

"It's at least six meters across," said Isaac. "Felix, I know what you're saying, but…" Garet and Felix were silent, staring at the ground in thought. "Mia… have you thought of anything?" She silently shook her head and turned away, not daring to look him in the eyes. She hadn't said a word since last night… Isaac felt a momentary pang of guilt over the whole situation… but he reminded himself that he was living his own life. Mia had no right to hate him for his decision…

Still, he couldn't help but feel bad for her. He admitted to himself that he'd given her a good deal of mixed signals in their travels… with Jenna absent and the dreadful weight of leadership on his shoulders, he'd needed any emotional support he could get. Isaac had tried to make it clear to her that he was spoken for, but…

"Garet, Felix, you two go on back," he told them. "Mia, come with me. I… I think it's time for us to talk. I have a private place we can go to."

For a moment, Felix opened his mouth, as though to object… but he thought better of it. He didn't want to get caught up in this mess. Isaac was better-equipped to handle this sort of thing, anyway… after all, Mia was his stalker, not Felix's. "Alright. Come back soon, Isaac. I'll bet the other group is having a rough go of it without us," said Garet. The two of them turned and walked away…

"Come on, Mia," said Isaac, looking deep into her tear-filled turquoise eyes. "There's something I need to show you."

…

_Were the nights in Imil always so cold, Isaac wondered? No matter how tightly he held her, his body still shivered in the twilight air. The streets were deathly quiet tonight… it looked like all the villagers had already gone indoors. Isaac wished he could join them… but for now, she needed him by her side. The poor girl had lost everything in a single day…_

_The last of the sun vanished behind the mountains to the west, leaving the snow tinged a faint blue. Isaac didn't dare look behind him at the lighthouse beacon, its soft glow shining from the east… it would only remind him of their failure. They had missed their chance by moments… the first lighthouse was lit, and Weyard was well on its way to destruction…_

_It had to be even worse for her, he thought as her tears froze on his shoulder. Yes, Isaac and his friends had failed today… but their quest was young. The poor girl had spent her whole life as the lighthouse's keeper, and to see those barbarians fire its beacon… and considering the traitor from her own clan…_

_Mia had already tried to take her own life tonight. Isaac held her tight, not saying a word, letting her sob until she could cry no more tears. He had to be there for her. He had to be her hope…_

_As he held his body against hers, though, he felt the first pangs of guilt. He shouldn't be holding another woman like this. He knew he had to… but every time he opened his eyes and saw the beautiful maiden in his arms, his mind's eye flashed to Jenna's face as he'd last seen it upon the aerie. Her terror as the madwoman carried her off… her dashed hopes at finally seeing her hero again…_

_He felt disgust at himself, but could not quite fathom the reason. Isaac despaired that Jenna was already on her way away from him as he languished in Imil, holding another woman… though he knew there was nothing else he could do, short of watching Mia die. He had to be there for her… and then… tomorrow, he could set off after his beloved…_

_But he was only human. He needed her as much as she needed him. Seeing Jenna had all but broken him. The burden on his shoulders… the fate of the world, and paradoxically more important to him, the fate of Jenna… it was too much for a man to bear alone. He succumbed to her that night in the inn._

_There would be many more sunsets like this one. After Venus Lighthouse… after their failure to reach Lemuria… time and time again, until he and Jenna were reunited in Contigo, he crawled back to Mia in his human weakness. He always felt guilty about deceiving Jenna… but never about what he was doing to Mia._

…

"This is the place." Isaac let his backpack fall to the ground with a thud just outside the cave's mouth, and sat down atop it. "Have a seat, Mia." She gracefully sat down on a rock nearby. Her tears had nearly dried by now… mostly, she was wondering what Isaac had to show her. Something inside her still clung to hope… "This was my secret spot as a kid. I called it Dragon's Maw… see those stalactites around the entrance? That's why." He laughed. "Never told anyone about this place, not even Jenna… which is why I brought you here. We really need to talk."

"Okay," whispered Mia excitedly. She couldn't believe her ears… he was sharing a secret of his that not even his fiancée was privy to. Her mind began to race with anticipation – maybe he would tell her that his engagement was a sham? That-

Isaac took a deep breath. "Mia… you're a wonderful human being. You're smart, you're funny, and you're beautiful. I respect you, and I want you to know that, alright? You're closer to my heart than just about anyone on Weyard."

Mia smiled, pure joy filling her face… she knew she'd been wrong to doubt him… she knew that despite Jenna's best efforts to steal him away, his heart was still hers… "I love you too, Isaac," she cooed.

A pained expression crossed Isaac's face, and he closed his eyes… "Mia. I need to say something, and I need it to be as clear as I can make it. I haven't articulated it well enough in the past, but… Mia, I love you as a human being. As a friend. Nothing more." He didn't have to look at her face to see her reaction… he knew she would be crestfallen. He knew all too well her tenuous grip on the reality of the situation. Isaac hung his head in sorrow, though he knew he'd done nothing wrong… right? No. He had been weak over the course of their journey. If he hadn't made love to her in his moments of weakness… she would never have formed these delusions… "Mia… I love Jenna. She's been dear to me for years now, and… now that we're finally back together, and things are returning to the way they once were… I… I want to make things permanent. Please, Mia… please try to understand…"

She was sobbing uncontrollably, her delusions crushed in an instant… Isaac sighed deeply. He knew there was no way to avoid this… it was inevitable that his confession would cause her grief… he knew that the uncomfortable reality that he'd never had a romantic interest in her would be painful, more so because she had made every effort to deny that reality…

But Mia cried for a different reason. She knew he was right for her… she knew it better than he did, at the very least. Isaac, the man who meant more to her than any human being on Weyard, was about to make the most catastrophic mistake imaginable… he was going to give himself body and soul to that… that despicable harlot… Jenna, the seductress. She didn't deserve him… that stupid, shallow, angry, ugly bitch… and yet he was willingly surrendering himself into her clutches for all time…

She knew what she had to do. She would save the one she loved. Eternally.

…

"Pass me the nails, dad," asked Isaac.

Kyle handed a small wooden box to him, and watched in amazement as Isaac lifted each one from the box and stabbed them deep into the house's frame without ever laying a finger on them. He'd seen his son's Psynergy before, of course, but… Kyle sighed. "You've grown so much, Isaac. Last time I saw you… before the storm… you were just a child. Now look at us… we're building a house together as father and son. A house you're going to live in as a married man. It… it's hard for your old dad to comprehend, really. I'm sorry I missed so much…"

Isaac sighed. "Dad… you don't have to get so melodramatic. I really haven't changed that much." He held up another wooden plank and shot several nails into it, holding it in place…

"That's a lie if I've ever heard one. From what Kraden tells us, you've saved Weyard itself," his father replied. "Experiences like that always change a man. Both you and Jenna seem so much more mature…"

"It's been three years, almost four now. You'd expect we'd have grown a little," said Isaac.

"I didn't think you'd grow up so fast…" said Kyle. "I mean… you're engaged." Seeing the look on Isaac's face, he quickly explained. "No, no, don't get me wrong. Jenna is a wonderful girl, and I couldn't have picked a better woman for my only son. It's just that… I still remember the two of you as children. It's hard for an old man's mind to adjust so quickly."

"Dad, stop thinking you're so old," laughed Isaac. "When you look like Kraden, then we can talk. The guy's got wrinkles on his wrinkles."

"It's that Alchemy stuff that does it," said Kyle. "They say it can make you immortal, but have you ever noticed that all alchemists are old and grey?"

Isaac sighed. "That's because it takes so long to learn the ancient arts…"

"Well, you and Jenna will have plenty of time, won't you?" asked Kyle.

"All the time in the world," said Isaac, smiling. "Pass me another two-by-four, will you? I want to get this wall finished before sundown."

…

The wind howled outside Mia's tent. The air would be cold tonight… but her work could not wait. She checked through her backpack once more, just to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything… and when she was certain, she put on her thick Imilian robes and stepped outside her tent.

…

"Jenna… are you awake?" whispered a voice into her ear. Jenna moaned, rolled over, and opened her eyes… "Jenna?" Crouching near her sleeping bag in the cramped tent was Mia, holding a lantern…

"Ungh… what do you want?" groaned Jenna, blinking. "It's… late…" She wondered if Mia could possibly be petty enough to be waking her up solely out of spite…

"Sorry," whispered Mia. "I thought you'd still be awake. Can you… can you get dressed? I've been doing some thinking, and… well, there're a few things I need to get off my chest. Can we go for a little walk?" She smiled in a friendly manner… Jenna had a hard time believing she wasn't dreaming.

Jenna sighed. On one hand, she just wanted to get some rest… her body ached from building houses all day, and she hadn't eaten a good meal in ages… but if Mia truly wanted to reconcile things with her, she'd be ecstatic. Mia wasn't a bad girl, really… if it hadn't been for Isaac, Jenna was sure they'd be best of friends by now, particularly after all they'd been through together. Sleep could wait, if it was this important… "Alright. Just… give me a minute, okay?"

She groaned as she crawled out of her sleeping bag, blinked a few times, and hastily threw on a cotton shirt, some pants, and a heavy coat, taking care not to wake the two other girls slumbering in the tent. Still a little sleepy, she staggered towards the tent flap, following Mia…

"Come with me. I… I've got a lot to say," Mia told her. The look on her face… her cautious smile betrayed her mixed emotions, and Jenna thought she knew what Mia was thinking. She knew it must be painful for Mia to give up her dreams of having Isaac for her own… but now that she'd accepted the situation…

Jenna and Mia walked towards the village through the cool night air. "Jenna… I want to apologize for how I've treated you," said Mia. "I've been… I've been a bitch, haven't I?"

Jenna shook her head. "No. Your… your heart was broken. I'd have done the same thing, really…"

"Don't say that," Mia told her. "Ever since our reunion in Contigo… ever since I saw how happy he was with you… I hated you. I sulked and cried, I tried to break you apart. And once we got back to Vale, I… I became a loner. I let my envy consume me. Jenna, I've hurt you more than anyone else… all the things I've said about you…" In the moonlight, Jenna could see she was crying…

"Stop," she said gently. Whatever irritation she'd felt at Mia over the past few months evaporated. Just seeing her repentant was enough for Jenna to forgive the poor girl… "You've said enough… what's past is past. I… I forgive you, and I know Isaac does too. Don't cry…" Mia said nothing…

The two walked in silence for a time, reaching the crest of a nearby hill quite far from the tents. The crescent moon barely illuminated the hilltop, and the torches in the camp were nothing but a distant glow… "Jenna," whispered Mia. Her tears had dried by now…

Jenna turned to her. "Hmm?" she asked.

"Sit," said Mia, lying down on her back. "I want to show you something." Jenna sat down next to her, wondering what this was all about…

Mia pointed up at the night sky. "See those constellations next to each other? In Imil, we called them Sardia and Amina. Do you know the legend behind them?"

Jenna shook her head. "No… could you explain?"

"Of course," replied Mia. "The myths say that in a long-forgotten age, before the lighthouses stood, when the Wise One himself walked the earth as a man, two goddesses vied for his love: Sardia, the goddess of summer, and Amina, the goddess of winter. He refused to accept either, causing a bitter rivalry between the two. Each claimed that the other had sullied his judgment… the tension between the goddesses grew to the point where the seasons fluctuated wildly and crops could not grow. Humanity was devastated… to end the war, the gods forced him to choose between the two. When he chose Sardia, Amina killed herself… and without winter, the goddess of summer was without power and succumbed to death. Without their deities, summer and winter weakened, causing spring and fall to come into existence between them. When the age ended and the grief-stricken Wise One ascended to the power he holds today, he placed them amongst the stars for eternity…"

Jenna was silent for a time. "I… I guess this sort of rivalry really is a universal feeling…" she said finally.

Mia stood up. "I don't want that to happen to us, Jenna," she said. "The one who will be hurt the most by all of this will be Isaac… we can't let ourselves destroy each other."

Jenna closed her eyes and smiled, still sitting. "So… it's time to put the past behind us? Mia, you're a really nice girl, and I don't see why we have to constantly be at each others' throat…" She paused for a second. "I'd like you to be the maid of honor at the wedding."

The sound of the mace as it whipped through the air didn't reach her ears until it was far too late. Her scream died in her throat… though, in any case, the tents were too far away for anyone to hear. Mia grinned devilishly as the satisfying sound of the impact cracked from Jenna's head…

Jenna's body slumped to the ground, bleeding from the ears… "We won't destroy each other," whispered Mia. "I will destroy you. And without you, Isaac and I will write our own happy ending…"

To be continued…


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

She opened her eyes and panted for air. Everything was red… her head throbbed, sending searing pains across her skull… her face stung… and she could barely breathe. Jenna's arms and legs spasmed, only to discover that her entire body was bound tightly by several cords. She focused her fuzzy vision, but she couldn't make out anything besides a dark grayish color… and so much red… her face was pressed against it… it was too cold and rough to be anything but stone. Where was she…? And how did she get here…? Was this a dream, or…?

A sharp kick to her side made her squeal in pain, and her body rolled over from the blow. Gazing up at the ceiling, Jenna noticed a human silhouette standing above her in the darkness… as it lit a torch, its blue hair triggered her memories. She recalled Mia's treachery… and now…

"So. You're finally awake," whispered Mia, with… anticipation? In the light of the dancing flame, her smile looked positively diabolical… Jenna whimpered, unable to say anything… "Good. I want you to feel it." Mia's wicked stare pierced deep into Jenna, who tried to look away… "It's going to hurt. You'll shed ten tears for every one I've cried. And when you've cried your last…" Mia reached into her robes and pulled out a wickedly curved dagger resembling a dragon's talon. Her gaze met Jenna's… "It will be slow. And I'll enjoy every second of it."

Jenna tried to scream… tried to cry out for help… tried to say anything to Mia. The best she could manage was a garbled yelp… as she thrashed about in her bonds, she tried to calm her mind. Jenna focused as best she could, attempting to burn the ropes away with her Psynergy…

The bonds barely sizzled, and Jenna felt her face grow red from the effort… and it stung… so much… "Ah, you still haven't figured it out, have you? Take a look in the mirror…" chuckled Mia. She strode off into the darkness… with the light of the torch she carried, Jenna could see a crude wooden desk, upon which sat several instruments. Mia picked up a small hand mirror and brought it over to Jenna…

She tried to scream, but the scream lodged in her throat. Jenna's face was a raw, bleeding mess… red lines crisscrossed her cheeks, nose, and forehead, forming strange interconnected sigils… "Wh-what have you…?" she choked.

Mia's eyes closed, and her mouth stretched into a sadistic grin… "That beautiful face…" she purred. "The face that stole his heart…" She opened her eyes and kicked Jenna in the nose, the solid tip of her boot twisting to grind into Jenna's face… "It's ruined." Jenna shrieked in agony as a torrent of blood spurted from her nose… "The shapes you see are the Seal of Water, Mercury's emblem. Try as you might, you'll never be able to use fire Psynergy with the seal carved into your flesh."

"Mia…" coughed Jenna in desperation, spitting out blood… "What are you… why are you…"

"Aww, you still haven't figured it out yet?" laughed Mia, grinning. She bent down next to Jenna and patted her lightly on the head… "Poor girl." Jenna tried to recoil from her touch, but her body wouldn't respond… pain had immobilized her.

"I… hate you, Jenna," she said, a sudden grimace covering her face… "You stole the one man who mattered to me." She slapped Jenna's already-broken nose, and the pain returned… Jenna screamed again… "When Alex betrayed me… when the beacon was fired… I lost all I had. I was ready to take my life. And then… my savior appeared. Someone to give my life meaning. My… hero." She stood up and looked down at Jenna, disgust palpable on her face… "I love him. And to see him… the one who gave me my strength… give himself to some pitiful whore…"

"M-mia, you don't have to…" Jenna choked incoherently. "I… I don't want to…"

"You'll never see him again," whispered Mia, that atrocious grin returning to her face. "I'll make sure of that. But until I decide it's time to cast you into oblivion… you'll be my new toy."

Jenna's face lay on the hard stone floor, in a pool of her own blood… "Mia… I…" she moaned, too exhausted from pain and blood loss to speak coherently…

A sudden tingling sensation filled her face… her broken nose fused back together… the blood ceased flowing from the shattered cartilage… "Take heart, Jenna. You'll stay alive for a while, at least. Can't have my new plaything dying just yet," cackled Mia, the blue aura of Psynergy fading from her fingertips… "It's almost dawn… I'm needed back at the camp. Take care… I'll be seeing you again soon."

The torchlight vanished, and Mia's footsteps faded into the gloom. For an instant, Jenna almost wished she'd turn around. Anything but being left here… alone in the crushing darkness, bloodied and raw, Jenna began to sob uncontrollably…

She didn't know why Mia had done this. She couldn't know. There were evils Jenna couldn't comprehend… Mia's madness went beyond anything she had ever experienced. Jealousy she could understand, but… taking it all the way to torture? Murder? All she could do was silently pray for her golden hero to be by her side once more… Isaac would know what to do. He'd always come to her aid in the past… it couldn't be long now… couldn't be long before her deliverance from this nightmare…

…

"Gone to Vault for some supplies. Be back by noon," read Isaac aloud. He put the note back down onto Jenna's sleeping bag. "Huh. I thought Jenna said she'd bought everything she needed last weekend."

"Isaac… you don't know the first thing about women," laughed Mia, shaking her head. "She's probably gone to Vault to gossip with some of her old friends. You know, about the engagement and all." _Good. He didn't look suspicious in the least._

"Yeah…" said Isaac, a faint smile crossing his face. "Well… no use standing around here chatting. There's work to be done today. I'll chastise Jenna for slacking off when she gets back."

"Are we gonna be working on the Talia house again today?" asked Garet. "I swear that site's cursed. Three times today. Three freaking times, something hit me on the head. It's like the tools are possessed."

"The hammer was my bad," giggled Ivan. Garet shot him a death-glare.

"The elder says that you, Mia, Sheba, and Ivan will handle the Talia residence," explained Isaac, trying to keep his group focused. "Piers, you're needed with the lumber group. We're almost out of wood, and we need a strong guy to help cut down trees." Garet opened his mouth to object, and Isaac sighed. "That's 'cut,' not 'burn,' Garet. We can't trust you anymore."

"I was frustrated…" Garet grumbled. "Damn tree didn't wanna fall over…"

"What'll you and Felix be doing?" Ivan chimed in.

"We've got a plan for harvesting the gold off of Mt. Aleph," explained Felix. "He and I are bringing some Venus Adepts from the village along to help. We're going to try to 'grow' vines from both sides of the chasm to form a bridge."

"Good luck," said Ivan. "We all know Vale could use the money…"

Isaac turned to leave the tent, but a thought struck him, and he turned back to Mia. "Hey, Mia. When Jenna gets back, can you tell her to work on the Talia house with you? You're the boss for today." It seemed to Isaac as though Mia had finally accepted his and Jenna's engagement… at any rate, she seemed a lot happier than she'd been in some time. The previous evening, she'd even been talking to Jenna instead of sulking. He'd give them a chance to bond…

"Sure," said Mia, her cute smile hiding a devilish grin. _When Jenna gets back…_

…

It had been hours now… days, even. Time seemingly ceased to exist in the darkened cave. All Jenna knew was the despair of being utterly helpless, lost in blackness… the fear of that savage's return… and the hope, however faint, of her golden boy coming to save her.

By herself, she was hopeless. The ropes holding her body were too tight and too numerous to wriggle free from… and without her Psynergy, she was as weak as she'd ever felt. Maybe if the wounds on her face were to heal, she'd regain her power… but until then…

But what if some creature came? Jenna shuddered as she imagined a monster finding her here, helpless. Even a rat would take advantage of her helpless state… lapping up her blood from the flood before biting…

She snapped out of it. She had to stop thinking about those things… Jenna had to be strong… she'd have faith that Isaac was coming…

The tears had long since stopped falling, as Jenna had slipped from her crying despair into a state of catatonia. Her body was abused and hungry… she hadn't eaten anything since last night. At the moment, she was too dazed to think of much besides that single thought… that single hope…

She had to hold out hope for Isaac. He'd know what to do. He'd cut her free from her bonds… he'd heal her scarred face… he'd tell her that he loved her… and he'd punish that evil, evil girl. Even while lost in darkness, Jenna kept praying for her golden light.

…

"You seem a lot happier today, Mia," said Ivan. "Are you and Jenna getting along?"

"We're doing great, thanks," said Mia, smiling warmly. Internally, she wondered why Ivan would ask such a question. After all, it would stand to reason that she'd still be heartbroken a day and a half after her loved one had proposed to another woman. Either Ivan was an insensitive bastard, or…

"Heh. Mia, the nail's already in. You don't need to kill it," giggled Sheba. Mia glanced at her right hand, which had been hammering furiously as she was thinking. Damn. She couldn't be seen showing any outward signs of anger, hatred, jealousy… not until the deed was done and the accident staged. Then Isaac could begin his mourning… and he would be hers for the taking…

"Whoops. Hehe. I got a little enthusiastic," she giggled. "Hey, pass me the bucket of nails, will you?"

"Here you- Aaagh!" yelled Ivan, falling forward to the ground with a thud.

"My bad," said Garet mockingly, using Ivan's earlier words. He stood behind him, struggling to lift an immense wooden frame… poor Ivan had taken a whack directly to the back of the head. With a grunt, Garet shoved the frame upright. "Hey, runt, get up and help me nail this in place."

"Owwww…" moaned Ivan, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. Mia grinned… watching the boys abuse each other was always entertaining. They were able to hold rivalries without ruining each others' lives… and Mia found even Garet's 'caveman' mentality better than girls' endless backstabbing.

She knew she was on a tight schedule. At noon, everyone would think Jenna was just late as usual. At one, they would get suspicious. By tonight… when she could return to Jenna… they would be outright worried. _Don't panic, Mia. It's not in your nature to do things haphazardly. You've planned this out well… and when you're through with it, the greatest of rewards awaits you…_

…

"Be careful on your way to Vault, Kay," cautioned Mia, seeing her off at the village's edge. "People are saying they've seen dragons out there."

Kay turned a little pale. "Wait, what? Dragons?" she asked anxiously, reflexively taking half a step back towards Vale. The hills to the south stretched as far as the eye could see… she'd been to Vault at least six or seven times in the past few months, but she'd never gotten used to being so… alone… in the wilderness, even when she was with a group. Particularly at night… she never understood how her brother had done it, knowing that over each hill, something horrible could be lying in wait…

"Yeah. One big green one in particular," said Mia, snapping her out of her throughts. "A group of travelers got snatched up by it a few weeks ago, or so the rumor goes." _A rumor which I started this morning_, she didn't add. _But it seems to have spread far enough already…_

"M-maybe I should bring my brother along," Kay suggested, her voice shaking, noticeably dissuaded from her plans.

"Nah, there's no need to worry at dusk," Mia told her. "Dragons are usually early morning hunters, when their prey tends to be sleepy. But if bringing Garet along will make you feel better, go right ahead. Maybe he can help you look for Jenna."

"Alright, I'll see if the big lump wants to come. I'll try to keep him away from the barrel of grain alcohol this time," said Kay, and the two girls shared a laugh. "Hey, do you have any idea what's taking Jenna so long?"

"Gossiping, drinking, maybe a one-night stand with some hottie from the Vault Guard?" suggested Mia with a giggle. "I've got no idea. She probably just wanted a day off from work and didn't bother to tell anybody."

"Well, I know the Vault Guard pretty well, if you know what I mean," said Kay with a smirk. Mia giggled. If Garet knew the extent of his sister's extracurricular activities…"I'll ask if any of them have seen her."

…

Jenna heard footsteps, and her heart leapt in her chest. The awful uncertainty clutched her… it would either be that sadist, back for more… or her golden hero, come to snatch her out of this nightmare…

A flash of light filled the room, and as Jenna's eyes adjusted, adrenaline flooded her veins. In the light of the torch stood Mia, a ghastly smile crossing her face… "Good evening, Jenna."

Quaking with fear, Jenna began to cry… she'd never thought she'd break so easily, but… "Mia! Please, please don't hurt me again…" she begged…

_Such an innocent face. So pitiable. This will be fun._ "You don't really have a say in the matter. I'll hurt you if I feel like it…" She pulled out the dagger from under her robes.

"Mia! Isaac would… Isaac would hate you for this!" screamed Jenna, playing her trump card. "If he saw what a monster you'd become-"

Jenna was cut off in mid-sentence by Mia's boot. "There are some things Isaac doesn't need to know," chuckled Mia. "Besides… isn't monstrosity relative? What you did to me – stealing away my reason for living, the one thing which gave me strength – isn't that monstrous enough?"

Jenna opened her mouth to respond, to say anything… but she could only scream when she felt her body lifting off the ground… Mia was levitating her with Psynergy. As two Psynergetic hands clamped down on her sides with crushing pressure, Jenna's body hovered off the cave's floor… rotated in midair… and was rudely shoved into the cave's wall. She felt the Psynergy dissipate, but something was holding her up on the wall… her bonds had been caught on nails… her front side was entirely prone… "Mia! Put me down!" she shrieked.

"I brought you some food," said Mia. "There's no use in letting you die so soon." A pitcher of water and a loaf of bread lifted off a nearby table… Jenna tried to keep her mouth closed, but Mia seized upon her and forced it open with her hands. As the food entered her mouth, Jenna felt herself forced by Psynergy to chew and swallow…

"That's better, isn't it?" asked Mia. Part of Jenna was inclined to answer yes, but she didn't want to give the madwoman any satisfaction… "Now. I didn't come here to be kind to you. I came here to make you cry. Your lifespan is measured in tears. Ten of yours for each of mine… and then, you die." That despicable, diabolical grin returned to her face…

Jenna screamed as the dagger broke her skin, slicing into the flesh of her arm… try as she might, she couldn't hold back tears as the pain seared into her consciousness. Blood dripped down her left arm from the gash… "Mia!" she choked. "Please…"

Another gash on the arm. Then one on the chest. Those breasts which had so tempted her man. They would bleed. They would be ruined. Jenna's clothing was torn now. Three more slashes. Jenna's eyes were glazed over. She wouldn't escape the pain that easily. Down to Jenna's stomach. Six cuts. Her thighs. Nine. Faster and faster in succession. Like a drug. She couldn't get enough. Loved to see the blood flow. The blood…

Jenna was dying. Mia quickly snapped herself out of it. She'd gotten too careless… she'd been too immersed in the near-sexual feeling of slashing apart her victim. Jenna couldn't die just yet. She had to pay in tears, not blood. Suffering, not mere death. Mia's hand pressed into Jenna's stomach, and a soft blue glow enveloped her body, clashing with the blood leaking from her wounds. All at once, they closed up, leaving Jenna still catatonic, hanging from the wall…

She knew Jenna could still hear her. Still see her. Still feel her. Slowly bringing her face close to Jenna, she licked the blood off her body. _Delicious…_ "I'll be back soon. Take care."

To be continued…


	5. Chapter Four

[Special disclaimer: The end of this chapter contains a scene of graphic sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter Four

"It's not like her at all…" said Isaac, his voice trailing off. "You're sure nobody saw her in Vault?"

"I asked around," Kay told him. "The lady at the general store said she wasn't there shopping for supplies, and none of her friends said they'd seen her…"

"Where could she have gone, then?" he asked, mostly to himself. Isaac halfheartedly gazed around the camp, almost hoping to see her in the crowd of workers… "Jenna's never been the type to suddenly disappear, especially when there's work to be done. I'm starting to worry about her…"

"Maybe she's planning a surprise?" suggested Kay. "To celebrate the engagement?"

"Maybe," Isaac sighed. "I… I know it's probably nothing. But I just get this feeling in my gut…"

"You were always a worrywart, Isaac," laughed Kay. "Remember when we were kids, and Garet dug up that old book about the ancient alchemists?" She laughed at his puzzled expression. "You know, the one with the guy whose head exploded when he tried channeling too much Psy into himself? You wouldn't go near the Psynergy Stone for _months_!"

Isaac managed a weak laugh. "Yeah." He glanced one last time at the camp gates. "I… I shouldn't worry about Jenna just yet. She can take care of herself."

"That's the spirit, Isaac," Kay told him. "You guys are heroes, remember? There's nothing in Angara that can scratch you, not even those dragons they've been seeing."

His gaze met hers. "Wait, what? Dragons?"

"Yeah, haven't you heard? People say they saw a big green one eat a bunch of travelers a week ago," said Kay. "That's why I brought Garet with me last night."

Isaac closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Jenna… she can handle herself. I know she can." His trembling voice belied his confidence…

"Cheer up, Isaac. No girl likes a paranoid man," Kay told him. "I'm sure Jenna's got a reason for what she's doing." She paused for a second, and then an idea struck her. "Hey, I think I know what's up. You know that shipment of straw, right? The one we need for the roofs?" Isaac nodded. "I'll bet you anything she's trying to impress us, Isaac. Vault isn't scheduled to send it until next week, and I'll bet Jenna's going around to the farms near the village and buying some directly. That way, she gets back today, we can put a roof on the inn, the construction team's morale goes way up on account of not having to sleep in tents anymore, and she looks like a hero in front of her fiancée."

Isaac smiled. "Everything girls do is so… convoluted. I don't know if I'll ever be able to figure them out."

"You'd be the first guy on Weyard, Isaac," laughed Kay.

…

She knew she had to control herself this time. Last night's pleasure had been too intense. It threatened everything. Jenna could not die yet… not when there were so many more tears for her to shed. "Hello again, Jenna," she purred as she lit the torch. Jenna squirmed against her bonds, too afraid to speak… she could barely whimper. Yes. She was at Mia's mercy. Completely.

Mia leaned in and began to tug on Jenna's clothing. Last night's pain had shredded it to the point where she could quite easily pull pieces of it through the bonds. The rest of it came off with little more difficulty. Soaked in blood… how convenient. She would put this to good use. Dragons seldom left their victim's possessions intact…

Jenna was nude now, her face twisted in horror. "Mia! What are you-" she choked, the last of her sentence dying in her throat as Mia unsheathed her dagger. "Mia!"

"I'm giving Isaac something to remember you by," said Mia devilishly, shoving the ragged scraps of Jenna's bloodstained clothing aside. "Consider it… a last favor for an old friend."

"Mia…" gasped Jenna desperately, her voice trembling as she strained against the ropes… "Please, don't…"

"Don't… what?" Mia grinned… and faster than Jenna could react, struck her in the nose again, breaking it. "You'd better learn to stop begging," she whispered. "It's… unbecoming of such a strong-willed girl, Jenna. Where's the fiery spirit Isaac grew to love? Have I already… snuffed it out?"

Jenna was unable to reply… the blood flowing down her face trickled across her mouth, and its repulsive coppery taste sickened her… "Poor girl," said Mia as she repaired Jenna's nose. The re-fused cartilage and bone bent to the side, giving her face a lopsided appearance… Mia smiled. _When I'm done with you, your corpse will be hideous. Too ugly for Isaac to mourn. _"I thought you'd be stronger than that, Jenna. You'll be past begging for mercy by the time I leave this morning. Jenna… you will be wishing for death."

Mustering the last of her strength, Jenna looked Mia in the eyes. She could barely bring herself to gaze upon that diabolical grinning face … "You haven't… broken me…" she panted, trying to overcome the pain that still coursed through her face. "Mia! Isaac will find me here!" she cried desperately, putting on a façade of confidence… "He'll… he'll save me. And he'll punish you. My… my golden hero."

She had no time to scream. The dagger was already lodged in her kneecap. Jenna couldn't move. Her body wouldn't listen. It could only feel pain. All was pain. She could barely hear the words Mia spoke, much less perceive the utter malice on her face… "Don't you get it?" snarled Mia icily. "Isaac is no longer yours. You, Jenna, are a corpse. A festering carcass. And try as he might, not even your 'golden hero' can resurrect the dead."

Mia twisted the dagger. Jenna screamed as pain consumed her other senses… and she heard – no, she _felt_ – a ghastly popping sound. There it was, on the floor. Blood everywhere. Her leg twitched involuntarily, searing her knee with more pain. She felt herself bleeding. Felt it more intensely than from any sword wound. Her strength gave out, and her body hung limply from the bonds. She could barely bring herself to open her eyes. Slowly, the figures in front of her resolved into images… Mia's mouth was moving. Jenna could barely hear the words.

"…never be able to walk again," cackled Mia devilishly, stooping down to pick up Jenna's kneecap. She examined the mass of bone and cartilage for a few seconds, then absentmindedly tossed it onto the pile of clothing. "I learned quite a bit about anatomy in my days as a healer. Had to treat a lot of chronic pain, you know." She leaned in close to Jenna's face… Jenna drew back with a whimper… "I know all the spots that hurt. And I'm not going to leave _any_ of them alone."

She raised the knife again. Mia's sadistic laughter echoed throughout the cave as Jenna's weakened body collapsed. Too drained to pray for deliverance… she could only focus her mind on the image of her hero…

…

"Alright, Isaac, now!" He focused his eyes intently on the other side of the chasm… and with a cry, he let go of the rope twirling around his head. The iron spike on its end flew quickly across the crevasse and landed atop the far ledge, sticking precariously in the rocky soil…

"Think it'll hold?" he panted. If the rope could support a single vine, then…

"It better." Felix pulled the rope taut and hammered a spike into the near ledge, holding the tiny bridge in place. "At least it stuck this time. Thanks, Sheba."

"I'm kind of surprised you didn't think of Lash in the first place," she giggled. "What, too macho to ask a girl for help?"

"You didn't do all the work," Felix pointed out, not bothering to make eye contact. "You just… sort of guided the spike in. Isaac still had to throw it."

Sheba blushed. "Well… um, the Psynergy can't lift something that heavy…"

"My point exactly." Felix looked at the rope, unsure if it would hold… "You can head back to the village once we get a vine across. I'm sure the construction team could use some help."

Sheba frowned. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't miss this! Besides, I can help carry the gold." Truth be told, she wouldn't miss any opportunity to hang out with Felix, but…

Felix looked at her, sighed, and turned back to the rope. In a way, he felt like he ought to be glad for the attention, but… "Alright. Just… please don't disrupt our concentration." He briefly wondered if he was being too harsh on her, but pushed the thought out of his mind. From the beginning, he'd treated her infinitely better than Saturos and Menardi had, even leaping from the lighthouse to save the poor child. Felix could almost understand her obsession with him… after she'd been thought of as chattel by Tolbi and the Proxians, any kindness at all must've been a relief. He cared about her, sure… not even his years spent in the violent north had extinguished his compassion. But having a fifteen-year-old fall desperately in love with him was more of an annoyance than anything else, and Felix knew he wasn't ready for love of any sort at the moment. Even three months after it had all ended, his emotional scars ran deep…

The sound of a shovel scraping against rock pulled him from his thoughts. Isaac was already digging a small hole near the iron spike with a hand trowel, while a small group of villagers unloaded potted vines from a nearby cart. "When you two lovebirds are done yapping, help me plant some of these, okay?" he laughed good-naturedly. Sheba and Felix blushed, for different reasons. Shoving the plant's roots into the hole, he began casting his Psynergy… and the vine slowly crept along the rope, wrapping itself around…

"Felix, help the boy," said one of the women nearby. "Be a good sport. There'll be plenty of time for horsing around back at the camp."

"We're not kids anymore, Aunt Rose…" sighed Felix. "Besides, I don't see you helping."

"I haven't come back from the dead like you have," said his aunt matter-of-factly. "You'd expect that your Psynergy would be stronger than your poor old aunt's." Felix sighed… his return to Vale had been somewhat of a rude awakening for the villagers. Rumors that he'd literally come back from the dead, along with his parents and Kyle, still dogged him. Just this week, three little kids had thrown rocks at 'that zombie.' Felix reflexively felt for the lump on the back of his head. Still there…

Sighing, Felix knelt down next to Isaac and began concentrating on the plant. The sooner the bridge was done, the better for Vale… and the sooner he could get back to the search for his sister.

…

"And Jenna's still not back…?" asked Felix. The two boys stood in the cool twilight air, gazing out at the hills south of Vale. For the past hour, Garet had been maintaining his vigil, looking for a crimson shape approaching from the south, while the others finished their daily work. But so far…

Garet shook his head. "Nope. I don't know what to tell you, man. I'm just as worried about her as you are. We finally finished your family's house today, and I woulda guessed she'd want to be around for that…"

Felix sighed deeply. "I… don't want to panic. But she's my younger sister, and I feel a certain obligation to protect her…"

"I hear you on that one," said Garet. "Kay made me walk with her to Vault yesterday on account of all the dragons people have been seeing." He paused a bit… "We can start lookin' for her tonight if you want. Ask around the camp, see if anyone saw her the morning she left. Worst comes to worst, we can walk to Vault ourselves, retrace her steps and all that. Isaac'll probably come with us too."

Felix gazed towards Vault. "It's almost dusk already. By the time we reach the village, night will have fallen… most of the villagers will be asleep. There won't be many people to ask."

"Yeah, man, but if something's happened to Jenna… the sooner we find her, the better, right?" asked Garet. Felix nodded somberly. "Then, c'mon, let's go now."

"I'll go find Isaac," Felix told him. "You stay here."

…

"They're worried about you, you know," chuckled Mia. "Isaac is… panicking. He can't bear to be without his little harlot." She briefly glanced at Jenna's enraged face before giggling sadistically. "Oh, you don't have to tell me. I know you're a virgin," she taunted. "I heard you and Isaac, and your little heart-to-heart. I know you're saving yourselves." Mia flashed her dagger. "It's too bad you'll never get to experience that kind of pleasure, huh?" Jenna whimpered and recoiled from the weapon… "Dead girls can't get laid, now can they? Do you even know the kind of… fun… you've denied yourself?"

"You'd know, you filthy slut," spat Jenna, surprising herself with her foolish bravery…

"A proud virgin," sneered Mia. She gazed at Jenna's nude body for an uncomfortable minute or so… and a malicious grin crossed her face. "Well, we'll have to fix that, now won't we?"

"Wh- what do you…" choked Jenna in fear. Mia casually ambled over to the wooden table and picked up a steel mace, its head studded with spikes. "N-no!" she gasped.

Mia slowly advanced towards Jenna, smiling viciously, holding the mace in her right hand… "I told you this morning I knew _all_ the spots that hurt. I guess I didn't finish. Shame on me…"

Jenna struggled against the ropes. "No!" she cried. "Mia!" She pressed against her bonds with all her might… but pains shot from each of her joints, filling her body, echoes of the wounds Mia had inflicted this morning. The injuries no longer bled, but their mark remained on Jenna's body, and the searing agony immobilized her… "Please! No!"

Mia leaned towards her, savoring every moment. Jenna could do little but scream as Mia grabbed her legs… she was too exhausted from hunger and pain to struggle much… the madwoman sliced the bonds holding them together, and then spread Jenna's legs apart… Mia reached for her mace…

In one final show of resistance, Jenna took advantage of Mia's distraction… with her one good leg, she kicked Mia in the head. Hard. The bitch let out a cry and fell over backwards, leaving Jenna to thrash about wildly in her bonds… if Mia had cut too many of the ropes, she might be able to break free…

Jenna's screams filled the cavern as Mia's dagger lodged itself in her good leg's ankle, piercing flesh and sinew… shrieking with rage, Mia drove the dagger in deeper, pinning Jenna's leg against the fragile limestone wall. It was stuck… she wouldn't be moving her leg anytime soon.

"Nice… try," panted Mia, catching her breath. The look of hatred on her face had dissolved into one of… amusement… "Aww, look… you went and ruined my knife." She gazed around the room, looking for anything to hold up Jenna's other leg… and her eyes settled on a single long nail. _This would do…_

Jenna cried out in agony as Mia drove the nail through her already-ruined left leg with one blow of the mace. The impact was more than enough to stick her leg to the wall… the remainder of its force shattered her ankle, sending chunks of bone tearing through her skin…

Her legs were spread as far apart as they would go… and they wouldn't be moving anywhere, even as she struggled… "Mia!" panted Jenna, expending the last of her strength to choke out a few words… "Please… no… no!"

Grasping the mace in both hands, Mia's eyes focused on her goal. "Yes…" she purred as she thrust the weapon forward… "Poor girl… poor virgin. You wanted to give it to Isaac, didn't you?"

As the first barb entered her, the pain transcended any she had felt. It was inside her, tearing her apart… the ghastly pressure of the weapon within her was nothing to the agony of its barbs. Her body locked up, her vision a sea of crimson agony… her entire reality consisted of the beast within her, shredding the most vulnerable of her flesh… and as Mia twisted the mace, she screamed until her body could scream no more, until she could not hear herself scream… "I've taken away your gift. Stolen it for myself. There will be nothing left for Isaac."

Mia tore the mace out in one swift motion, bringing with it a waterfall of blood… delicious blood. The blood could wait. Tiny scraps of flesh clung to the barbs of the mace. She nibbled on them one by one. Ecstasy. Euphoria like none she had felt before. The taste was heavenly. It was sexual. Mia orgasmed.

Neither girl spoke. Jenna lay pinned to the wall, eyes glazed over, her lifeblood spilling out like a river, violated beyond belief… while Mia stood, legs buckled from pleasure, savoring the taste of victory. She had done it. She had destroyed Jenna. Jenna was all hers now. Hers for the feast.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The sun was just coming up over the horizon, its first rays reaching Isaac's weary eyes. He could reach Vale, he thought, before the rest of the construction team awakened. One sleepless night wasn't a particular handicap for him, not after the events of the previous year. More debilitating was the chronic anxiety about Jenna's situation… he'd found nobody who'd seen her in Vault, nor had he turned up any clues in his endless ruminations on where she might be. Felix and Garet, trudging along behind him, had likewise found no useful information…

He wearily took one final step, reaching the top of the hill. Now he could see Vale off in the distance. About another hour off… Isaac sighed and sat down on a rock. "Garet. Felix. I'm beat. Five minutes, okay?" he wheezed.

"Ten," suggested Garet, taking a seat nearby. Felix followed suit.

The young men sat in silence, each one pondering Jenna's disappearance. A terrible thought suddenly gripped Felix… what if she'd run away? If she'd suddenly grown to fear the thought of commitment? If she'd not had the guts to tell Isaac she wasn't ready for marriage? His sister was blunt about most things, but she could never bear to see Isaac hurt…

No. Jenna would at least have left a letter of some sort. She knew it would hurt Isaac worse to be constantly fretting about her safety. Felix sighed as he gazed down the hill…

Wait. What was that? That, right there. The cloth, caught against a small shrub, fluttering in the wind… "Isaac! That's…"

Jenna's coat. Isaac recognized it before his conscious mind had a chance to react. Forgetting their exhaustion, all three raced down the slope, towards the clothing…

Isaac's heart nearly froze. Up close, his eyes widened at the coat… shredded and stained with blood. Nearby lay other articles of clothing… Jenna's shirt, soaked red and in three different pieces… Jenna's undergarments, crimson and almost unrecognizable… her boots, torn apart. The ground was drenched with blood, the grass scorched, the earth torn by something immense… and most ghastly of all, a small, bloody shard of bone lay in the midst of the carnage…

He had been through almost everything life could throw at a man. Isaac thought he had surmounted every challenge he could possibly be expected to bear. But nothing compared to this. He knew immediately what had happened here. Isaac fell to his knees, overwhelmed… throwing up on the grass… retching until there was nothing left to vomit but blood… it was out of his control now… it was too late… she was gone…

Blackness… sweet oblivion.

…

"Hello, Jenna," purred Mia. Her victim hung limply from the wall, not bothering to make eye contact, or even whimper. She was too… broken… from last night's pleasure. A pity. "Jenna… Isaac knows what happened."

At this, her eyes sprung open. "Wh-what?!" she choked. "Is he… is he coming for…"

"He knows you're dead," cackled Mia. "I made sure no detail was spared at the scene. Can you imagine the _pain_ he's going through right now, Jenna? The unbearable agony of seeing the one you love most… gone? Forever?" She paused for a moment, then giggled diabolically. "Of course you can. You'll never see him again, now will you?"

"You say you loved him…" spat Jenna. "And you'd… you'd…"

"It's… _tough_ love," whispered Mia. "Sometimes, we all have to be punished. I'm sure he'll get over it. After all, you're not much of prize, Jenna." She looked over Jenna's scarred and violated body, and couldn't suppress gales of laughter. "Isaac will move on. He'll forget his little harlot."

"Mia…" coughed Jenna with all the will she could muster. "He'll… he'll never love you. Look at yourself, Mia! Look at what you're doing! Isaac… he… he would kill you! You're evil, Mia! Evil to the depths of your foul soul!"

At this, Mia's face shifted. No longer was she confident, in control… her eyes narrowed, and an odious grimace overtook her face. She smashed Jenna's left cheek with a hook punch… then her right… then the left again… and she didn't stop until Jenna's face was a raw, bleeding mess…

"Do you realize the depth of my hatred, Jenna?" demanded Mia, that same terrible grimace frozen on her face. "Do you know the things I've thought of? Do you know just how far I've fallen?" Her body briefly, imperceptibly twitched… "There are things I have wanted to do to you. Things that I can't bring myself to. In my dreams, I've seen myself flaying you alive. I've pulled out your entrails and bitten into them while you watched. I've shattered your bones and sucked the marrow from them! I've stuck my hands into your gaping wounds and pulled out what I could reach! I've torn off your arms and violated you with them! I've ripped your face off and made you eat it whole! Jenna, I have destroyed you as utterly as a woman can be destroyed!" Mia's whole body shook, twitching like mad… she began breathing rhythmically, trying to regain her composure…

In time, the madness faded her eyes, and her body slowly stopped trembling… "You would say I'm a devil," she whispered finally. "But Jenna… isn't love the most human thing of all? We all go to… obsessive lengths… to protect those we love. I've stayed sane. I will destroy you… as humanly as I can…" She closed her eyes… blinked a few times… "And it will be _delicious_. We'll both be free."

Jenna could barely whimper. "M…mia…"

Mia brought her face close to Jenna's, and slowly licked the blood running down her cheeks. _Euphoria_. Her rage faded away. _So wonderful._ "I'll be back in two hours, Jenna. It will finally be over…"

…

Isaac was a wreck. Even once he'd awoken, Garet hadn't once heard him utter a coherent sentence… his body wracked itself with convulsions every few seconds, flinging tears through the air, and the best he could manage was a babble of Jenna's name and expressions of horror. For his part, Felix had already left for the village. He looked to be almost as devastated as Isaac… but he'd felt an obsessive need to flee the area, and Garet couldn't keep up with his speed…

Garet tried to keep his eyes off the terrible scene and fought back waves of nausea, but he was powerless to keep his body from trembling. Jenna… such a great girl… his childhood friend… his best friend's fiancée… dead, and in such a horrid manner…

He tried to remember Jenna, but every time her smiling face appeared in his mind, her fiery spirit visible in her eyes, he would see the blood. Imagine what had happened. He saw her face torn. He saw the dragon rip her to shreds. He saw her scream as she died. He would open his eyes and witness the atrocious scene before him. Even the sweetest of his memories were blotted out by the sheer horror of Jenna's death…

Not that his mind didn't harbor delusions of hope. He knew that there was a chance, a terribly slim chance, that the dragon had merely carried her off to its lair. Perhaps she'd lost an appendage, as indicated by the bone shard, but… she could be alive… right?

No. Jenna was dead, gone forever… consumed by a dragon. Garet had seen too many scenes like this to hope for anything beyond finding and slaying the beast. "Jenna… no… you're not… you can't… Jenna, come back…" sobbed Isaac incoherently…

Garet didn't have anything to say to him. He didn't have anything to say to himself. The two boys sat near the ghastly tomb of Jenna and wept…

…

The footsteps again. Jenna no longer had the strength to pray for deliverance. She knew who it was. She knew why she was here. She knew it was her end.

The torch lit, revealing the twisted face of her erstwhile friend. Mia's grin stretched almost from ear to ear… "Jenna," she whispered sadistically, "it's finally time. It's time to feed…"

Jenna tried to shrink back, but the nails holding her bonds against the cave's wall dug into her back… "Mia!" she cried in desperation. "Please… please! I don't want to die!"

"Everyone dies, Jenna," purred Mia, walking closer to her… "Don't worry… I'm not going to hurt you… much." She giggled. Jenna recoiled as Mia's face slowly approached her… Mia went down towards Jenna's right arm, as though to kiss her, and in fact she did… and immediately afterwards, a searing pain shot through her arm. Mia had bitten her… hard. She felt her flesh tear, she screamed, and then…

Mia's head drew back, blood dripping from her lips. Jenna could hardly bear to look at her arm… but even from the corner of her eye, she could see that a chunk had been taken out of her. Grinning devilishly, Mia chewed for what seemed like an eternity before swallowing… "Mmm. Jenna, you're positively _yummy_. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"G-Get away from me, you… you…" cried Jenna, flailing about wildly. The blood from her arm flowed like a river, splashing about the cavern as she thrashed…

"Poor Isaac," whispered Mia. "You can't understand the anguish he feels. To know that his fiancée has been taken from him… by the cruel hand of fate…" She ran her hand along Jenna's face… "I'll ease his pain. Jenna… I will consume you. You'll become part of me. And then… I'll take your place as his one and only."

Jenna opened her mouth to bargain for her life… to promise Mia that she would flee to the far corners of Weyard and never return to Vale… to betray Isaac in any of dozens of ways to save her own skin… and closed it in disgust. She loved him… and that was why she was here. Somehow, it was even worth it.

She knew the madwoman would not let her go. She knew all too well that barring some miracle, she would die here in this cave, never to see the light of day again, never to see her golden hero, feel his touch, tell him she loved him… and somehow the thought strengthened her resolve. She would die with dignity. She wouldn't give Mia the pleasure of watching her beg any more. "Mia… no. You won't. You can kill me here… I can't stop you. But Isaac will see what you've done. He will hate you, Mia. He will kill you. And then he'll cry for me, Mia. Cry the way he never would for a monster like you."

"He wouldn't understand what I'm doing," whispered Mia sharply, twitching involuntarily. "No man can understand the depth of a woman's love for him. Love that leads her to do whatever it takes to be with him. And for his own good, I'll never let him know what happened here. He will cry for you… and then, when the last of his tears have been spilled… I will be there for him. We'll begin anew, together. And… he will forget you, Jenna."

She knelt down and pressed her face against Jenna's left breast. The pain was… more intense than anything Jenna had yet felt, save for last night's violation… and yet she kept her screams inside of her. Every nerve in her body cried out in agony, but she could not give Mia the satisfaction. Mia would kill her, but she would not win…

Mia chewed the piece of Jenna's breast and swallowed it, the pleasure surging through her body. But something was wrong. She needed a scream. She had to know Jenna was in pain. Pain, retribution for Jenna's sins against her. Tears, repaid tenfold. "What's wrong?" she cried angrily. "Had enough already? Can't… feel anymore?"

Jenna did something she never imagined she'd do. She focused on Isaac… she thought back to the wonderful reunion in Contigo. Remembered the hug that must've gone on for ages… the kiss that felt like Weyard was already safe… the look on Mia's face when she saw Jenna with him… the happiest moment of her life, in retrospect. Jenna broke out in laughter.

"Is this funny?!" roared Mia, rage filling her face. "Is this funny, bitch?!" Her head darted in towards Jenna, and she bit into her stomach, tearing off a piece of her abdominal muscles. Mia didn't even bother to chew before she swallowed it. She moved to Jenna's inner thigh for another bite. She needed Jenna to scream. "IS IT FUCKING FUNNY?!"

Jenna saw herself with Isaac the night they'd returned to Vale. Even in that cramped, smelly tent, they'd known the world was safe. That was the closest they'd come to making love, lying nude in each other's embrace. They'd agreed to save themselves for marriage, which both Isaac and Jenna knew wouldn't be far off. She knew now that they would never get a chance to make love, but somehow it didn't matter. Isaac had been hers, and Mia could never take that away…

Three bites. Four. Mia didn't even notice the taste now. She felt no pleasure from biting, tearing, and swallowing. She just wanted Jenna to scream. "Cry, damn you!" she roared, consumed by rage. "You're dying, bitch! You're dead! I'm tearing you apart! Eating you alive! Now scream! Scream!"

She knew she was bleeding. Jenna was passing out. She wasn't long for this world. Her breaths became slower… her heart slowed and finally ceased to beat. "Isaac…" she whispered with the last of her strength, knowing that he could not hear… "I love you, Isaac."

Into the tunnel of light, with her last mortal thoughts firmly focused on her golden boy.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Isaac… we have to go." He didn't budge… even after half an hour, Isaac was still virtually catatonic… "Back to Vale…"

The tears had stopped flowing for Garet some time ago. He'd done his best to fill the hole within himself with purpose, forcing out the pain… there was nothing he could do for Jenna now, but he could save Isaac… he could track down and destroy the beast that had cruelly torn her from them…

"Jenna…" gasped Isaac, his glazed-over eyes rolling in their sockets. "Why…"

"Get a grip, Isaac! There's nothing we can do here!" yelled Garet, immediately regretting what he'd said. Isaac's face hardened into a psychotic scream of shock and anger…

"How could you?" he cried, staggering to his feet, his eyes flashing from side to side. "We… we can't abandon Jenna. Can't leave her here. Have to help her. Save her…" Garet ran after him as he stumbled down the hill towards the ghastly scene… he'd never known Isaac to be the unstable type, but something like this could break the strongest of men…

"See? See?" cried Isaac, falling to the ground as he grabbed hold of the bloodied shards of Jenna's dress. "She's hurt, Garet! We can't just let her die!" His body spasmed as he clutched the coat, the blood soaking into his own tunic…

"Isaac! Get a hold of yourself!" yelled Garet, catching up to Isaac and seizing him from behind. "Snap out of it, man! That's… that's not…" Garet retched, the stench of blood cutting off his sentence… regaining some composure, he shook Isaac vigorously, hoping to bring him back to his senses…

Isaac spun around, twitching uncontrollably, a dreadful grimace of madness on his face… "Then what? Where? I have to heal her, Garet! If she isn't Jenna, what is she? Look, she's wearing Jenna's dress. She is it. Jenna is. She never took it off. And she's hurt." He clutched the bloody rags, hunched over, as though protecting them from Garet…

Garet, too, began to shake. Standing in the place where his childhood friend had so recently been devoured… with his best friend crouched in front of him, gripped by a terrible madness… he could barely keep himself lucid. Isaac wouldn't listen to reason… he'd have to lie to get him out of this terrible place… "Isaac, that's not Jenna, damnit! The dragon took her away! If we don't hurry… we won't be able to save… her…" He couldn't bring himself to keep a steady voice…

"Then… where?" asked Isaac simply, holding the dress close to his chest.

"I don't know!" cried Garet, exasperated. "Isaac, we have to get back to Vale and get together a search party. Take the dress if you have to…"

"If this isn't Jenna… it won't help us," said Isaac, tossing the dress aside with a twitch. "But why her blood…?"

"I don't know," lied Garet, his voice shaking. "But we have to get back to Vale. Then we can… we can save…"

But Isaac was already ahead of him, ascending the next hill.

…

She was dead. And yet it gave Mia no satisfaction. Jenna had endured her last moments on Weyard with more dignity than Mia had thought possible… her spirit had not been broken. Sighing deeply, Mia kicked the wall of the cave in frustration. She should have tormented her longer. More pain. More tears. She could barely stand to look at the bloodstained mace on the floor. _So many more uses…_

The corpse of her foe was nothing but an object now. She expected elation as she gazed upon Jenna's lifeless form, but… no. Isaac was hers now, right? The harlot was dead. He was hers. She would help him go through the mourning process, and-

No. So much work… so emotionally draining. For the first time, Mia felt a twinge of regret. As she gazed upon Jenna's torn and violated body, her mind flashed back to the stories Isaac had told of their childhood together… the happiest moments of his life, he'd said. He would be hurt by her loss, and horribly. Mia doubted she had the emotional strength to support Isaac… she was already drained herself… too drained from losing Isaac to the girl who lay dead in front of her…

Regardless, this was no time to falter. She had already taken the irreversible step of murdering Jenna. Now she had to ensure that her work was never discovered. The scene she had painstakingly assembled outside Vale would be enough to draw Isaac's attention towards an entirely fictional dragon. Disposing of Jenna's corpse would be trickier… she had originally planned to eat her slowly, savoring the victory over her long-time foe, but now that it gave her no pleasure…

Why…? Mia sighed as she ran her eyes over the nude corpse pinned to the wall… almost wishing that the old pain would return. That crushing sense of loss… that burning hatred… she could still remember its bitter sting, but even that would be better than how… empty… she felt. This couldn't be what victory felt like.

She could not just let Jenna rot here. She owed at least that much to the woman Isaac had loved. Out of some perverse sense of dignity, she would go ahead with her plan to consume Jenna piece by piece. Mia chilled the air around Jenna's body, the moisture condensing into a solid block of ice. It would last at least a day in the chilly depths of the cave. Enough time for nightly visits… nightly feedings.

Mia was almost disgusted by what she was doing. But the sweet foretaste of victory lingered in her mind… however faint it was. Victory would come when Isaac was over Jenna. The bitch was dead, but not gone… and her dying breath had wounded Mia more than she could've imagined…

…

"Felix, what's wrong?" asked Mrs. Talia. From the new house atop the hill, she and her husband had seen Felix running from far away… and had met him at the edge of New Vale, near the tents…

"J-Jenna… she was…" panted Felix, catching his breath… he thought he was out of tears, but the sight of his parents had squeezed a few more out of him. Family. What had driven him to travel the world. What would never be whole again. "There… there was a… a dragon…"

"What?!" cried his father in shock. "Felix, what happened? Where is Jenna?"

"Blood… there was blood everywhere," he choked. "Torn clothing. And a bone. Dragon. We… we think she…"

"Jenna's…" gasped Mrs. Talia, eyes wide with horror… Mr. Talia, for his part, stood there stunned, as though it hadn't fully sunk in yet… "She's… no…"

Felix struggled to regain his composure… "She… we think she's dead. Isaac and Garet are behind me." It was strange, he found, how detached he could become at a moment's notice. Of all the skills he'd learned under the harsh tutelage of Prox, it was perhaps the most useful… but all the same, the most terrible for the outside world to witness… "We… we saw the markings of a dragon… there was blood around her clothes…"

His parents stood motionless, horrified. Felix knew Jenna's sudden death had confirmed their worst fears… it was perfectly rational for parents to be unable to react, stunned upon hearing of the death of their only daughter. But his coldness had doubtless contributed to their anguish. He knew he should mourn the loss of his sister, and he had. But grief left him quicker than most, and now that it had run its course it must have looked to the outside world as though he had not ever been affected…

Even as tears rolled down his parents' panicked faces in terrible gasps, Felix could barely bring himself to comfort them. The entirety of his mind had focused itself on one thought… he would find the dragon and kill it with his own two hands. Then he would take his own life. He had failed in protecting the one who mattered most to him. And with his characteristic coldness, he would punish himself as honor demanded. But even he could not bring to tell his mother and father that. Not now. Not in their moment of grief.

…

The mood in Vale was somber that night. News travels in the blink of an eye in small towns, and even more quickly when it concerns a local heroine. Even before becoming a legend, Jenna had been well-liked by the townspeople… her fiery spirit had set her apart from the other village girls. Her death had come as a shock to everyone… those who had known her walked around as though in a daze, and the town guards posted extra men in case the dragon sought another meal within the tents. Even Mia, her longtime romantic rival, seemed distraught…

Isaac was inconsolable. Once he'd seen through Garet's lie, he'd tried to flee the village with nothing more than his tunic and return to the scene out of some perverse sense of loyalty. It had taken half the Adepts to restrain him… not one of the healers, not even Mia herself, had been able to cure his psychosis, and thus Isaac had been bound with rope and placed in an empty tent with an attendant to await the return of his sanity.

Garet, Felix, and Piers stood at the town's edge, accompanied by several men of the village. Swords in hand, they gazed out at the horizon… the lands between Vale and Vault, though only a tiny portion of Weyard, were still vast. To search the entire area for the dragon's lair would take ages, but among the hastily-assembled company were two expert trackers who were currently outlining their plans. If they couldn't find the beast, nobody could…

"And what about us, Felix?" demanded Sheba, incensed. "Jenna was like a sister to me! Can't we come with you? Are the girls not welcome?!" She, Mia, and Ivan stood a short distance away from the company, waiting inside the village…

"I'm male, you know…" sighed Ivan quietly.

"Sheba…" sighed Felix, shaking his head. "I don't doubt your fighting skill. You've proven yourself in more battles than I can count. But someone needs to stay home and defend the village, in case the dragon… in case it…" She opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. Still, her face bore a disgruntled expression.

"I understand," said Mia quietly. "Should I tend to Isaac while they're on guard duty?" _It will be emotionally draining, but I will be there for him. I'll help him through it, and he will love me for it. This is my chance…_Perhaps the emotional fatigue from Jenna's death was a blessing in disguise… she didn't need to put on a façade for once. At any rate, the others didn't seem to suspect a thing.

"He needs to be alone," Felix told her, shaking his head. "Maybe once he's lucid again. If the psychosis persists for longer than a day, though…"

"Then I can try to heal him?" she asked. Felix nodded.

"Can we go already?!" demanded Garet. "Come on, guys. While we're dicking around here, the dragon could be…" _Digesting her?_ thought Mia, a terrible joy resurfacing within her. Yes… something about the sheer perversity of the situation was brining back the old pleasure… she smiled internally. _Only a few bites. The real fun begins this evening._

"Yes," said Felix. "Sheba, Mia, Ivan… protect Vale in our stead. We won't be gone long." And with that, they began the march towards the gruesome scene once more, to track the dragon to its lair.

…

Summer evenings were cold in Vale, much chillier than the Kalayan clime he was used to. Ivan shivered as he gazed off into the darkness, searching the sky for anything large and airborne. The tracking company had been out for six hours now, and weren't expected back anytime soon. Ivan was loath to get too deep into thought, lest he miss spotting the dragon and condemn innocent villagers to an untimely death, but his mind was too full of questions to remain silent…

How had the dragon killed her? It must have been a surprise attack… he'd fought alongside Jenna, and he knew she was more than powerful enough – even alone – to fight off most species of dragon, certainly the weak subspecies inhabiting inner Angara. Even a mature wyrm…

Worse, it had happened at such a terrible time. Fate was unimaginably cruel… allowing such a wonderful young woman to be devoured by a dragon only a few weeks before her wedding day… and then allowing her fiancée to stumble upon the ghastly scene of her death… it almost defied explanation. This couldn't be a coincidence; it was too atrocious to be chalked up to chance. It was outright malice.

For a moment, his mind flashed to Alex, but he discarded that idea out of hand. Alex was dead and gone… Sheba had seen his death atop Mt. Aleph in a vision. Besides, not even Alex would be that… that… Ivan sighed. He couldn't think of the word for it. There was nothing in any of the three languages he spoke that could describe such cruelty. Alex, despite all his past deceptions, would have taken the fight directly to Isaac, not murdered his fiancée and made it look like an accident…

The thought of Alex brought with it an image of Mia. For one horrible instant, he considered whether Mia had summoned the dragon. If her romantic rivalry was so strong that she would murder her. But… no. Ivan refused to believe that the kind healer he'd spent so much time fighting alongside could find it in her heart to commit such a heinous act. Besides, she seemed as distressed as anyone else over the recent events…

Ivan sighed, and gazed towards the partially-built village she patrolled, hoping to catch a glimpse of her just to reassure himself. He couldn't accuse her. It would only drive the group further apart…

…

Mia's footsteps echoed throughout the darkened cavern. For some reason she couldn't bear to light her torch… the cave which had once symbolized her victory had become almost hallowed ground, too sacred… or too profane… to defile. She found her way to Jenna's body by memory alone, kicking her mace across the floor away from the corpse. Jenna didn't deserve the indignity of having the instrument of her violation linger by her remains…

She sighed deeply at her own mixed feelings. Even once she reflected on all the anguish Jenna had caused her, Mia couldn't muster up the same kind of hatred that had led her to derive pleasure from torturing Jenna… she couldn't regain her excitement to finally be consuming the flesh of her bitter rival… she almost began to feel that Jenna deserved respect in death…

Mia pushed those feelings aside. This was _her_ moment of triumph, and that bitch would have absolutely nothing to say about it… least of all from beyond the grave. She struck her torch against the wall, igniting its alchemically-treated head, and as her eyes adjusted to the orange-yellow light, she gazed upon Jenna's frozen body. Where would she start? Where was the choicest meat? She didn't know. It didn't matter. She would consume every scrap of flesh from Jenna's bones eventually, anyway. Somehow she felt she owed that to her, in some bizarre way…

The ice around Jenna's left arm began to melt from the heat of the torch. Through the dripping water, Mia caught sight of the engagement ring on Jenna's left hand. She would begin there, at the root of the problem. When the arm was fully exposed, Mia unsheathed her new dagger… the last one lay inside the ice, pinning Jenna's leg to the wall. Slowly, carefully, she removed Jenna's hand. She would start there first, then work her way up to the meatier arm.

She wondered if she should cook Jenna's flesh. Maybe the arm, when she got to the larger pieces of meat. It wasn't worth it to cook the hand. She was perfectly used to eating flesh raw. The pleasures of the early afternoon still stuck in her mind…

Mia nibbled on the hand cautiously at first, starting at the fingers. They were too bony to enjoy properly, but she tried her best, sucking every bit of flesh from between the finger bones. The taste was… almost like beef, she thought. A little sweeter. Delicious, but…

When she had cleaned the bones with her tongue to make sure there was no meat left, she spat them onto the floor, along with that loathsome wedding ring. From there, she moved to the palm of the hand. It was barely pleasurable, biting into the stringy tendons and the squishy flesh… but she had made a vow to Jenna in some perverse way…

The hand was done. The bones lay on the floor of the cave, licked clean. Mia's stomach still growled. She hadn't eaten since the bites she'd taken out of Jenna nearly eleven hours ago. She reached for Jenna's handless arm and made an incision with her dagger, slicing off enough of the flesh to satiate herself. The raw, bleeding chunk of flesh came off the bone with a good deal of effort… Mia handled it warily, almost respectfully, and placed it gently onto the metal pan she carried. The alchemic torch still burned on the floor of the cave. She held the pan over it, listening to Jenna's flesh sizzle. She would fill her stomach, then re-freeze Jenna. She would draw from it what pleasure she could. She would return to her tent and try to forget what she had done today.

To be continued…


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

By morning, Mia's mood had vastly improved. A full stomach alone was a welcome feeling to her… but when it was filled with the flesh of her mortal enemy, so much the better. After her meal, she'd returned to the village to halfheartedly fulfill her guard duties, protecting Vale from the imaginary dragon, and the long night gave her ample time to think. Her earlier feelings of doubt had left her over the course of the night… the old pleasure had returned to her. When it had come time to change the guard, she had retired to her tent a contented woman. Soon Isaac would be hers. Soon.

The warm summer sun and cloudless sky that morning contrasted wonderfully with the mood of the villagers… Mia couldn't help but smile cruelly at how hopeless the people of Vale had already become. Felix's group still had not returned, and Isaac's psychosis didn't seem to be letting up… _It won't go away on its own. But it doesn't matter. I'm the most competent healer in the village; this sort of thing is child's play for me. I'll restore him when it's to my advantage… when he will be most ready to reject Jenna and accept me…_

"So they're not back yet…" wondered Ivan, jolting her back to her senses. She mentally kicked herself… Mia couldn't let the Jupiter Adepts read her mind. She'd learned over the course of their quest, of course, that reading friends' minds without permission was taboo amongst those who had such power… but if Ivan or Sheba were suspicious enough to behave so rudely, she was a dead woman. At least if they caught the wrong thoughts…

"It's a lot of land to search," Mia reminded him. "Dragons tend to be secretive beasts… finding its lair won't be easy." _Also, it doesn't exist. _She shied away ever so slightly from the blond children, not wanting to take any chances with their telepathy…

"Yeah…" sighed Ivan. He and Sheba stood close together… perhaps it was from anxiety, Mia wondered. Were they worried for their own safety…? She almost laughed inside. Yes, if the dragon had managed to kill Jenna, it could certainly take on one of them… _Don't worry, Ivan. The dragon is standing right next to you… and she's already sated._

"It wouldn't attack the village in broad daylight, right?" asked Sheba, her voice quaking. _Trying to reassure yourself, dear?_ Mia chuckled internally.

"No. They typically hunt at evening and dawn," Ivan told her. "We're safe…" _Not so subtle, Ivan…_ giggled Mia as Sheba swatted away his arm from her shoulder. _You can't have forgotten she's smitten with Felix._

Mia wondered how long it would take for the search team to give up. If they were persistent enough, they might search the entirety of the lands to the south… and check the foothills to the north. If they found the cave… and Jenna's body… Mia was a dead woman. She'd have to flee Vale, and take Isaac with her… willing or not. She'd already removed the mace and the other tools from the cave, and moved Jenna to a remote corner. Hopefully they wouldn't notice the ice even if they entered the cave…

She needed to bring closure to their efforts. They needed a dragon, right? If she could find one, she could kill it herself and show the others the body. Be a heroine for Isaac. No… too risky. Drawing attention to herself in any way would be asking for trouble. It would be readily apparent that she'd planned it. She could find one and let it loose in the village. Ivan and Sheba could kill it themselves, with a little aid from her. It might kill a few villagers in the process, but as long as they couldn't trace the creature back to her…

Hmm. Some of the more jaded men in the village might cut the beast open, looking for human remains to confirm they'd killed the right one. But dragons were warm-blooded, unlike most reptiles. Their digestive systems worked quickly. Mia fidgeted with the ring in her pocket… the ring she'd saved from Jenna's corpse. She held onto the loathsome object for some reason… and now it had a purpose. She'd plant the ring in the dragon's stomach before she sent it into the village. That would serve her purposes well enough. Whatever was in the beast's stomach would be misidentified as Jenna… and perhaps even given a burial. She smiled, remembering the real 'burial' Jenna would be getting. That reminded her… it was almost time for breakfast…

And what about Ivan and Sheba? Even with Jenna consigned to history… even once Isaac was hers… she would need to stay away from them for the rest of her life. Years down the road, when she had grown old together with Isaac, a single mental slip could tear her life apart. Mia kicked herself mentally… how had she not realized that until now? She'd have to get away from the telepaths… which would mean tearing Isaac from his hometown and taking him back to Imil. No. That would take months… they would have to be engaged before he'd be willing to come with her. There was… one more option. If they were… eliminated…

"…working today," said Ivan. "Mia, are you okay? You've been spacing out…"

"I'm… I'm fine," she sighed with a shake of the head. "It's just that… you know…"

"Yeah," Ivan told her sympathetically. "I understand. It's affected us all…"

"So what were you saying?" inquired Mia. "Are we going to get back to work on the village today…?"

"Yeah," said Ivan. "I got an order from the village elder. We're not supposed to let the tragedy delay us…"

"That insincere bastard," spat Sheba. "He's not giving any of us time to mourn… he just wants his village back. I know fake grief when I see it."_Poor child, you haven't spotted mine…_

Mia sighed. "This isn't the golden age we were promised, is it?" _Not for you, at least._

"No…" said Ivan, staring out at the horizon. The three were silent…

She needed a dragon. But that would be the easy part. She had more than enough Djinn to summon one, even a fairly powerful specimen. Harder would be concealing her involvement… or containing the creature before it killed too many people. Come to think of it, she could kill two birds with one stone. If Ivan or Sheba were to die fighting the dragon… but no. The people of Vale might believe Jenna was eaten by a dragon, but the chance of one actually killing one of the party… even the fragile telepaths… was too miniscule to consider. Once the dragon was killed, she would have to dispose of the Jupiter Adepts on her own. Mia would have to plan her next kills carefully… one slip, and it was all over…

Mia stole a glance at Sheba's legs and briefly wondered what someone so young would taste like. Maybe she'd save some of her next victims for after she'd finished off Jenna. Come to think of it… with those two standing here, it would be nearly impossible for her to sneak off to her cave to get a morning meal out of Jenna. Such a pity. She was looking forward to finishing off the lower arm. Maybe there would be fewer people watching at noon…

…

"Nothing down here," shouted Garet from the depths of the cave. "Felix, throw me a rope." Sighing, Felix uncoiled the thick hemp rope and tossed an end down the hole. Of the six caves the search party had located in the area, not a single one had shown evidence of draconic inhabitants. Somewhat perversely, he longed for the sight of Jenna's remains. He knew rationally that she was dead. It would come as no additional shock to find a bone or two… or a lock of auburn hair… in the dragon's lair. But it would confirm that they had found the beast.

Felix held the rope tightly, digging his feet into the ground as Garet hauled himself up. That oaf had gained at least ten pounds since the group had returned to Vale, most of it in the form of beer. Sweating, Felix wished he would hurry up… "Ungh…" panted Garet, reaching the surface at last. He grabbed hold of the rocky edge of the pit to pull himself up, only to have his handhold crumble under his weight… "Uwaaagh!" Quick as ever, Felix's hand shot out, catching Garet's shirt… with a groan, he hoisted the heavy boy up onto firmer ground. "Thanks, man. I owe you one."

"Nothing?" asked a man dressed in chainmail, walking over to the lip of the pit. Mr. Bennet was one of Vale's expert trackers, and their primary source of advice on the habits of dragons… mostly thanks to his defeat of the infamous 'Black Peril' twelve years ago. The beast turned out to be nothing but a lesser ebony drake, a relatively nonthreatening species of dragon, but it had apparently eaten at least six travelers before Bennet had killed it. Listening to him tell the half-hour version of the tale he'd developed over the years, one would think he was a warrior on par with the legendary Aram of Toblios, but truth be told, he'd simply gotten the drop on it and managed to get in a lucky hit. Still, he was Vale's foremost expert on such creatures… not that that was saying much.

"Nope," sighed Garet. "That's most of the caves in the area, right?" Bennet nodded. "Damn. What now?"

"We could head north of the village," suggested one of the women in the group. "There are a number of caves near Mt. Aleph."

"Not yet," said Bennet. "The girl was attacked to the south. It's likely that a beast from the north would have chosen to attack the traffic going to Mt. Aleph instead. Gold miners and such – not a seasoned warrior like our girlie. Rather, I suspect our beastie might not be a cave-dwelling species." Inwardly, Felix cringed at hearing his sister referred to in such a… dehumanizing manner…

"What do you mean?" asked Felix, swallowing his pride. "Where else would the dragon live?"

"A few kinds live underwater," explained Bennet. "I'm sure you've met a couple of 'em sailing across the sea, right?" Garet and Felix nodded. "It might make its home in one of the rivers around here. Maybe in Lake Umar, near Vault. Then you've got your wyverns. The damn things never land at all. If one of them got her, we'll never find it. But we can check the lake. It's only a few hours to Umar."

"Alright," said Felix, sighing internally. "And if there's nothing there?"

"To the north," said Bennet. "If we don't find the beastie up there either, I'm afraid we never will." He was treating it like a game. Another adventure to inflate his bloated ego still further. Adults could be so… immature once fame got to them. In a way, perhaps, Felix was lucky that his 'undead' status made him less of a star than the others.

He followed the others towards the south, where Lake Umar awaited. Perhaps somewhat macabrely, he wondered what they would find to positively identify the dragon. Human bones on the lakebed could belong to anyone. Maybe they would cut it open. Digestive fluids didn't work well on hair… if he saw her unique color in its stomach, he would know they'd found the right one. What little fear he had once held of human remains had been erased by his time in Prox. As a fifteen-year-old boy, he had witnessed three bears tear apart and devour a chained convict. It had been Saturos who suggested he witness the execution, as a way of toughening him up. Brilliant, in retrospect, mused Felix, but at the time he had thought Saturos a madman.

One way or another, he would bring what remained of Jenna back to the village for burial. Then, in full recognition of his failings, he would end his own life. He had failed to protect the one person who mattered to him. There was nothing more to be said.

…

At last she reached the cave. Under her robes, she carried her trusty alchemic torch, her frying pan, her dagger… and a thick, leather-bound tome. She would need the book after lunch. To put an end to Jenna once and for all.

She lit the torch as she walked to the back of the cave. Her old feelings were gone; there was nothing sacred about this place anymore. Hanging from the wall, Jenna's body had dignity, but now that she lay in a crumpled heap in the corner…

Mia breathed a sigh of relief… the ice was well-hidden. Only a close inspection of the cave would reveal it, and if her foes were searching for a dragon, they wouldn't bother to check in every nook and cranny. Mia brought the torch close to the ice, watching it melt away and expose the bony end of Jenna's lower arm. There was still meat left on the bones. Her stomach growled… she'd be finishing off the lower arm today and starting on the upper part.

Cutting Jenna's flesh with her dagger, she absentmindedly wondered where she would go after the arm. So far, the meat on the arm had been the best. Maybe her legs next, for the sake of comparison. Or she would eat the organs next, since they were bound to be less tasty than the muscle, and she wanted to save the best for last. But she needed an opening to remove the organs. Maybe she'd eat Jenna's stomach muscles next. Or her ribs… perhaps with some of that sauce Isaac used to make. What would she eat last, anyway? Probably whatever tasted the best the first time, she mused, since human bodies had two of almost everything. Briefly she wondered if she should search Vault's libraries for information on cannibalism next time she was in town. That was good for a laugh or two.

The flesh sizzled in Mia's frying pan as she sprinkled some seasonings onto it. Jenna was delicious alone, but perhaps Mia could find a tastier way of preparing her. As she waited for the meat to cook, she opened the book on the ground next to her. Thumbing through pages of Old Imilian script, some of it too archaic for even her to decipher, she turned to the chapter on summoning. This book, an ancient and forbidden treatise on the Djinn, had taught her almost everything she knew about them, and continued to give her new ideas even after she had acquired personal experience in summoning. Almost a year ago, when Mt. Aleph had first erupted, she'd discovered one of the legendary creatures herself. Unable to believe her eyes, she'd tested the theories presented in the book, and the Djinni had performed flawlessly. Now that she had many more, summoning a dragon would be no difficulty at all…

She pulled her torch out from under the pan; the meat was cooked. Mia would finish her lunch and then summon a suitable dragon. Turning the page in the flickering torchlight, she saw an illustration of the snakelike greater Angaran river dragon. How appropriate… according to the book, it was larger and stronger than its cousin, the common river drake, and its elemental affinity ensured that she could summon a specimen easily. It would be easily to believe that such a creature had been able to subdue Jenna, owing to her elemental vulnerability._Feeds primarily on large herbivores which come to the river to drink, but has been known to leave its habitat to attack herds of animals,_ she read. _It rarely attacks humans, but will gorge itself on traveling parties if the opportunity presents itself._ Perfect.

Mia carved up the warm pieces of meat with her dagger and began to eat. It wouldn't be long now. Once the dragon was summoned and killed… once Isaac had been healed and believed himself avenged… once she had consumed Jenna's remains down to the last scrap of flesh… once the Jupiter Adepts were prevented from meddling… the long nightmare would end at last. She would help Isaac through his grief, and in doing so she would win his love. Her victory over Jenna would be complete.

…

At first, Ivan didn't believe what he was seeing. Oblivious to the shrieks of terror from the villagers, he stood in stunned silence. But there could be no mistaking it… that serpentine shape crawling out of the river… its long turquoise body… its claws… its reptilian mouth, filled with cruel fangs…

The beast swung its horned head around, sizing up the situation. Villagers fled from their tents towards the high ground above, while only Ivan and Sheba stood their ground. They must've looked like easy prey, thought Sheba, quaking in her boots. Two children, standing alone…

"Attack it!" cried Ivan, returning to his senses. "We can't let it reach the village!" He reached into his robe, pulling out his staff in one swift motion. "Come on, Sheba!"

The blue dragon made no move to strike them, nor did it advance. Something wasn't right here, Ivan thought. Why had it come out of the river, if not to attack the village? Curiosity got the better of him… he refrained from attacking, waiting for the dragon to do anything at all besides look around in a puzzled manner…

The beast roared in pain as an immense column of ice fell from the sky, smashing into its back. Mia's head popped out of a nearby bush, a determined expression on her face. _Damnit, Mia…_ thought Ivan, running towards the fight. _You've gone and antagonized it. I doubt this was the dragon we were looking for…_

Incensed, the beast galloped towards Mia… she stood perfectly still, her eyes closed in concentration… as it leapt towards her, ready to strike, the air itself froze into a single icy spire in its path. Bellowing in agony, the dragon struck the immense block of ice head-first and rebounded off… "Ivan! Sheba! Don't just stand there!"

Sighing internally, Ivan focused his mind… he hadn't used his Psynergy in anger since that terrible battle atop Mars Lighthouse. Apparently his skills were as sharp as ever, though, because the thunderbolt that arced from his fingertips and fused with Sheba's seemed to paralyze the beast for a split second… which was enough for Mia to hurdle the bush, rush over to the dragon, and crush its skull in one swift blow of her mace. With a whimper rather than a roar, the creature hit the ground…

Mia didn't stop. Striking its head once, twice, three times, each with a sickening crunch, she smashed its brains into a pulp. Panting heavily, she fell to her knees next to the creature as Ivan and Sheba rushed over to her side… "We… we got it," she gasped. "Jenna… we…"

Ivan gazed down at the creature's twitching body. It was certainly large enough to have eaten a human being… but they had slain it so easily. If this was the dragon they were looking for, it must have taken Jenna completely by surprise… "Mia… I don't think this is the right one. It didn't seem hostile."

"Better safe than sorry," Sheba reminded him. "Mia, you alright? You look pretty winded…"

"Too much exercise after lunch," she sighed, getting to her feet. "Sheba's right, though. The dragon could've been a threat to the village." She stood up and examined the creature's scaly corpse… "And it's water-aligned… Jenna must've been weak to its Psynergy…"

"We don't even know if it had Psynergy," argued Ivan. "Besides, the dragon that's been attacking all those travelers… wasn't it green?"

"Take a look at its body," explained Mia, kicking the beast's side. "See all that algae on the scales? I'm sure that whoever saw it was too busy running in terror to remember its color perfectly well. Besides, all dragons have Psynergy. The ancient texts say they're descended from the elementals."

Ivan sighed. Something still didn't feel right… but at least they had _something_… "Should we contact Felix's group, then? Tell him we got one?"

"Tell the village elders first," advised Sheba. "They'll want to know what all the commotion was. Then, yeah, they'll probably send someone out to look for Felix and Garet…"

"I'll stay here with the body," Ivan told the girls. "You two go inform the elders."

As Mia and Sheba walked uphill, Ivan felt a sense of worry grip him. His gut instinct told him that something was terribly wrong. It shouldn't have been this easy…

…

The village's mood that night was torn between mourning and relief. After a few inhumanly jaded men had sliced the beast open to look for evidence and found Jenna's wedding ring, it had been confirmed that the slain dragon was the proper one. Vale was safe from its depredations… but it also meant that the partially-digested flesh found inside the serpent belonged to Jennifer Elizabeth Talia, beloved young woman of Vale. What her brother found of her had been placed into a casket in preparation for tomorrow's funeral. None of the group but Felix dared look inside it.

Felix didn't cry, either. Heartless bastard… even Garet, whose machismo knew no bounds, blubbered like a baby when Jenna's death was confirmed. Looking upon their crying faces through a veil of her own false tears, Mia couldn't help but smile internally. Something about their pain just intensified her own joy. Her tears were repaid tenfold, not only by Jenna but by those who loved her. _If I am a devil for enjoying this, so be it. This is my victory._

Only one thing remained. Isaac. He had learned nothing of the day's events… the poor man had remained inside his tent, still catatonic from shock. She would heal him tomorrow, once she had shed enough insincere teardrops to fool the others. Tomorrow, then. Tomorrow was the dawning of the golden age.

To be continued…


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The shock of Jenna's death was bad enough… but the discovery of her remains, far from bringing closure to Vale, only reopened the wound. Three days ago… there had been a glimmer of hope. Jenna had survived terrible ordeals before, hadn't she? But now the village's fiery-spirited heroine was dead… undeniably, finally dead. The sounds of song and conversation were absent from the construction teams today, replaced by an almost palpable feeling of despair…

"I've got to go talk to him," said Garet suddenly, breaking the pall of silence. "Guys, this… this isn't right." Off in the distance, Isaac stood alone, silently chopping wood… sure, Mia had cured his psychosis, but he still wasn't… right in the head… "He hasn't even spoken for what, a couple of days?" He didn't have to look at their faces… the others' silence told him everything. Garet fought the urge to ignore them… to walk over and try to speak with Isaac… "This is bullshit! He… he thinks we don't care! None of us has even tried to-"

Ivan cut him off. "Garet… I know. It's hard to seem him like this, but… Isaac needs to be alone. This… this is the most traumatic thing that's ever happened to him. We're all concerned about him, but we've got to let him grieve… give him some space…"

"And what the hell does a kid know about that sort of thing?!" snapped Garet. "When my grandfather died in Aleph's collapse-"

"Garet, she was his fiancée!" cried Sheba. "Those… those are two totally different things!"

"But you guys were there for me!" Garet yelled back. "I had you all to fall back on! Why can't we-"

Ivan shook his head. "Garet, I understand what you're saying, but Mia's been tending to him. She says he needs to be alone, and…" His face betrayed a flicker of uncertainty… "Well, she… she knows more about healing than any of us. She says she's treated psychosis before."

"Yeah. The guy back in Imil who thought his kids were trying to kill him," remembered Garet. "But… it still doesn't feel right to be just… ignoring him, you know?"

"It's only for another few days," Piers reminded him. "I'm sure she wouldn't ask us this without a good reason… and I'm certain she's let him know we're there for him." He shook his head as he gazed at Isaac, still silently going about his duties… "Poor man. May Fate be merciful to him…"

Sighing, Garet looked past Isaac and into the distance… to the Talia residence. "And what about Felix? When do you think he's going to be coming out of there?"

The group was silent.

…

She had developed a strange fascination with her excrement. It, too, was Jenna, after all. But it was a Jenna she had no use for. She had extracted from it what she needed. Now all that remained was the hateful essence. Jenna's evil. In concentrated form. Filling the air like a foul stench.

So she burned it. Couldn't let it sit in the outhouses. Oh no. Then it would… exist. She could not let it exist. Even far away from her, its existence was a crime. So she burned it. Yes. Purified it by flame. The flame it had once wielded. How ironic.

Jenna would be gone. Expunged utterly from Weyard. Erased.

…

"What's wrong, Sheba?"

She just shook her head and looked away… Ivan sighed internally. He'd never seen Sheba this melancholy since… well, since she'd been a captive of Tolbi. Of course he knew what was wrong, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Jenna had been her best friend, after all…

"Do you… do you know if Felix is alright?" she asked quietly. Ivan turned to face her, but she'd already averted her gaze, looking down at the ground, her mouth quivering…

Ivan looked up at the Talia house atop the hill, straining his eyes to see anybody in the windows… "I… I've got no idea, Sheba," he told her. "He's been in there for three days now. But he's got his parents…"

"I have to see him…" she whispered. "Ivan, I… I have to…" She sniffled a little as she gazed upwards at the hill…

"Sheba, his family-" Ivan choked as he remembered Jenna. "Erm… his parents… are there for him. They'll help him through this better than any of us could…"

Sheba glared at him. "So, what? We're just supposed to leave him in there, suffering?!"

He sighed. "You… you're really worried about him, aren't you?" She nodded. "Sheba, I know you care about him. And I know you're important to him – I saw him dive off a lighthouse, after all. But… he knows you care, Sheba. He knows he can always come to you if he needs support. Right now, though, he needs to be with-"

"Why, Ivan?" demanded Sheba angrily. "Have you read his mind? Do you know exactly what he-"

"Sheba!" said Ivan sharply, cutting her off. "Look. If you go in there… he'll know you feel his pain. He'll know he has to look strong in front of you, so you won't suffer needlessly. And… bottling up emotions like that is never healthy."

Sheba sighed. "I… I just… I need to see him, Ivan!" she cried desperately. "You… you have to understand…"

Ivan was silent for a few moments. "Give it another couple hours," he said finally. "If he's still not out, you can go up there and knock." Sheba's shoulders slumped, defeated, and she showed no resistance… "Go eat lunch, Sheba. I need to talk to someone, and then we can go work on the house together."

…

He had tried to comfort his parents, but he knew it was in vain. Felix had few emotions himself… comprehending those of others was beyond the abilities of his fatigued mind at this point. Nothing he said would help them, so he allowed them to grieve on their own. For his part, Felix was silent. He knew there was nothing left to grieve for. Instead, he would plan.

The cemetery. He could see Vale's new graveyard from his window, with a few sparse headstones marking the resting places of the few villagers who had died since the original town's destruction. Jenna's headstone stood in the center… a tall marble pillar, salvaged from the ruins of Sol Sanctum, with her name engraved in Old Valan. Two carved angels adorned the top, hastily cut by Vale's remaining sculptors. It was not a worthy monument, Felix knew, but he was thankful she had received any sort of burial. He wondered if he would.

"Mother… Father… I have to leave," said Felix quietly. His parents sat at the table, in a daze… they barely moved their heads to acknowledge he had spoken. "Please, be strong." He stood up, and made for the door without looking back. There would be no final farewell. He knew they would be hurt, and terribly. But they were stronger than he. They would live.

…

"Ivan! Come in, come in," said Kraden, opening the flap of his tent. A small alchemic torch burned in the center, smokeless, underneath a covered pot. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you. Just boiling some water to make tea. Would you like some?"

Ivan shook his head. "No… it's okay."

"Take a seat, then," said Kraden, sitting on a pile of cushions next to the pot. "What brings you here? Is it… about Jenna?" The smile faded from his face…

Ivan nodded. "I can't see how it could be about much else…" he said quietly, sitting on the ground across from Kraden.

"Ah. Yes," sighed Kraden, looking down at the ground. "I… I still have trouble believing what happened. Whatever you want to ask, go ahead…"

"I shouldn't be saying this, I really shouldn't…" Ivan told him, his voice shaky. "But… I had a horrible thought the other day. I… I wondered if Mia was behind all of this." Seeing Kraden's mortified expression, he wavered for a moment before continuing… "I know it's probably nothing. But I needed to talk to someone about it."

"Ivan, what you're saying is terrible!" scolded Kraden. "I refuse to believe that Mia would murder another human being in cold blood! And to accuse her without any proof… Ivan, this is a time when we need to come together!"

"Like I said, a horrible thought," continued Ivan warily, not making eye contact. "But… there have been all these disturbing coincidences. Mia's been depressed about Isaac and Jenna for at least a couple months… and then when Isaac proposed to Jenna, she suddenly began cheering up. That's when Jenna disappeared. The timing is… frightening. And it was Mia who found the dragon."

Kraden sighed. "I understand what you're trying to say, Ivan. But to accuse Mia in this time of grief would only tear the group apart. She cried as much as anyone, lest we forget. I… I find it hard to believe that such a sweet girl could commit such an atrocious act…"

"She used to be sweet," mused Ivan. "But after the meeting in Contigo… she became so bitter and spiteful… after losing what she thought she had with Isaac…"

Steam began leaking from under the pot's lid. Kraden sighed and opened it, pouring the boiling water into a nearby cup of tea leaves. "Regardless, Ivan, you cannot accuse her without any evidence. I won't even entertain the notion until you bring me some proof."

Ivan's eyes widened with realization… "The note. The note Jenna left when she disappeared. Kraden, does anyone still have it?"

Kraden looked at Ivan quizzically. "Why? I'd imagine that either Sheba or Lydia might have it… they were her tentmates, after all…"

"Just a hunch," said Ivan. "Kraden… if I can show you that the note was in Mia's handwriting, would you believe me?"

The old man sighed. "Ivan, you're not really thinking of-"

"I… I can't tell you what compels me to do this, Kraden. But it's something I have to do."

"I would find it odd, at the very least," Kraden told him. "But, Ivan… please don't let paranoia get the best of you. It will only bring harm to Vale."

…

She watched them through a crack in the inn's walls… Ivan and Sheba, ambling along towards the partially-built Newcomb residence, carrying wooden planks, Sheba's head hung in… sorrow, was it? Mia would need to keep an eye on them. She'd traveled long enough with Ivan to understand the limits on his mind-reading ability… and although Sheba could read her mind from a greater distance, as she had atop Venus Lighthouse, her powers too grew fainter when her target was too far away. She'd have to stay away from both of them. If they ever became suspicious enough to read her mind, Mia would need to constantly watch her back. She wondered if telepathy could pass through walls… damn, all the more reason to kill them quickly.

Paranoia? Mia crushed that thought the instant it arose. No, she wasn't being paranoid. Her fears were entirely justified. One false move, and the Jupiter Adepts would know what had transpired… which in turn would be the end of her. Better their deaths than her own.

Mia studied the two closely. Were they to be injured on the job, of course, it would be a boon from the heavens. She fingered the small vial in her pocket… it would be child's play to poison the children while supposedly healing them. And essence of mohrtandis was just the perfect toxin for the job, laying low the strongest of men while leaving no trace. She would have to arrange a little… accident. Poisoning one of the Jupiter Adepts would be ideal… but if both Ivan and Sheba were to die in the same manner, even Garet wouldn't be dense enough to think it a coincidence. No… she'd need to come up with a second plan.

It couldn't be too hard to make one of them… disappear, could it? But even if she could lure one of the children into a secluded area… as she had done with Jenna… she'd need a story. Vale would need closure again. With poison it was easy; the effects of mohrtandis mimicked a heart attack. The village would have a body. But another disappearance… with the dragon already dead…

Her fingers touched something smooth and cold… a gold coin. That was it. So many people were crossing that simple vine bridge, carrying gold from the mountain… were it to snap with Ivan or Sheba aboard, it would be chalked up to a simple accident of fate. The only problem was that neither of them had been assigned to carrying gold yet, due to the obvious fact that they weren't very strong. She would have to arrange that task somehow… but it could wait. Her first objective was to poison one of the children… and then… "Mia! Can you help me hammer this in?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Mia swung her head around. "Oh, sure, Kay!" she said earnestly. _There will be time to plan later… once I've eaten._ "When we've got the roof done, one of us has got to go talk to the project manager. This wall over here already has a crack in it."

…

He placed his hand on Jenna's headstone. Beneath his feet lay his sister, and though her flesh had been destroyed by the serpent, she would rest in the earth here, in her hometown. That was all Felix could have done for her. He could not have saved her… could he?

He could have, had he not been weak and foolish, had he not allowed her to wander unsupervised. Weakness was unacceptable. Complacency was a sin. He had been lulled into a false sense of security upon returning to Vale. Even after learning so much under the harsh tutelage of Prox, he had begun to forget what a terrible place the world was… what a dangerous place. And he had paid the price for it… he had let his sister leave the village unaccompanied, and she had been consumed by a dragon. His family would never be whole again. Four years he had struggled for their sake… and now…

No rational man would have laid the blame at Felix's feet. He knew this. Still, he blamed himself. Did this make him a madman? No. In his failure… a failure that was not his alone… he had lost what mattered to him. There was simply nothing more to be said. Weyard would go on without him, as it always had and always would. He had no reason to trouble it any further with his existence.

Felix unsheathed his sword. Felt the cold steel tear through his skin, severing flesh and sinew. He was bleeding now. Bleeding his life into the earth below, where his sister lay. It would not be long now.

Perhaps he would see Jenna again soon. Perhaps he would simply cease to be. It made no difference to him. The one intolerable state was existence without a purpose. By his free choice, he had left that state for whatever else awaited him.

His blood left him. His body grew numb. The pain faded. It was erased. The world around him faded. Erased.

Soon Felix was gone, too.

…

"Isaac!" she cried to the tent. The fabric fluttered in the late-afternoon breeze, but no answer came from within. "Isaac… it's me. Are you there?"

Throwing caution to the wind, Mia parted the tent flaps and entered. She needed to talk to Isaac. She couldn't bear to be separated any longer. Not now. Not when she'd… won. The prize was hers, and her eyes scanned the inside of the tent for any sign of him.

"Mia," he said flatly. "Why are you here…?" Isaac sat slumped atop a filthy mattress, his glazed-over eyes fixated on the tent wall across from him…

Mia sighed internally. "Isaac… I…" She hesitated, waiting to see if he would interrupt her with an outburst… if he would tell her she could not understand his pain… but none came. Was he too dazed to even respond to her presence, beyond acknowledging it…? No. He loved her, she reminded herself. He had to… "Isaac… I brought you these." She took the cloth off from the plate she carried, exposing six of her famous chocolate pastries. Isaac had used to love them, back on their journey… but the last time she'd made them was before… before Contigo…

No. Those thoughts had no business in her mind. Jenna was dead. Jenna was inside of her. In her belly. Jenna could do nothing more to her.

"Isaac… if there's anything I can do to help you…" said Mia, her voice trailing off. He was silent. Sighing, she placed the tray of pastries on the mattress next to him. "Please, will you… just say something…?"

Isaac said nothing, but a lone tear rolled down his face… her face as sympathetic as she could make it, Mia sat down next to him on the filthy mattress. Placing her arm around him, she began to cry tears of her own… tears with no emotion, the deceitful tears of false grief… but he had no way of knowing. The two of them would cry together. She would be there for him, to aid him in his time of need. She would be the only one who comforted him. He would love her alone. Mia had one more task to perform before her victory was complete.

To be continued…


End file.
